Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel
by SuperGreG
Summary: Fifty years after the Oblivion Crisis and nearly eight years since the events of the Infernal City, the story continues. At the heart of the Empire of Cyrodiil, a time of celebration takes place. At that same time, an ill wind blows, serving to remind that the one constant of all is that everything changes. Oblivion, Infernal City & Skyrim.
1. Chapter 1

Foreword:

Fifty years after the Oblivion Crisis and nearly eight years since the events of the Infernal City, the story continues. At the heart of the Empire of Cyrodiil, a time of celebration takes place. At that same time, an ill wind blows, serving to remind that the one constant of all is that everything changes.

Authors note: With some artistic license, all reasonable effort made to maintain _general_ parity with _existing_ canon established in Oblivion, The Infernal City/Lord of Souls, and Skyrim.

Rated M for mild adult content.

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Although it should go without needing to be stated, let it be said: Bethesda owns The Elder Scrolls and all related materials. I am merely contributing my own interpretations in a public forum and no profit is derived or intended from my work.

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Additional note: This story follows on from "Under Autumn Skies: An Elder Scrolls Novel". Some effort has been made to allow this story to function as stand-alone. However, I still recommend reading the previous story for a more complete perspective. Of course, 'to get the heart of the story, you oughta go back to the beginning'. ;-)

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Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 1

Loredas the 29th of Frostfall 4E50 Early Afternoon

It seemed that the persistent cloud cover of the past several days had finally given way to relatively clear blue skies. There were still more than a few white fluffy white clouds drifting across the firmament overhead, but it was nothing at all like that dreary rain cloud that seemed to blanket all of northern Colovia during the earlier portion of that week.

A fresh southerly wind blew up from the Niben Valley, but under the warming rays of the afternoon sun it didn't make things seem at all uncomfortable. In fact, for that late in the autumn, the day really seemed quite pleasant.

Alexander Pinewatch slowed his stride along The Black Road, almost stopping completely. He turned partway to look back uphill as the southerly breeze whipped at his light brown locks. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Monika Northwind tensed slightly as she came to a proper halt, her hand shifting to the hilt of her mace. She couldn't see or hear anything of immediate concern.

The clean-shaven Nord strained to listen as he looked upward and off toward the forested hills above. "That sounded just like a northern seahawk."

The fair-haired woman shrugged with a crooked grin. "Sounded pretty much like any regular hawk to me."

Shading his dark brown eyes, he returned a slight frown. "Not the same. A different tone to the call".

Monika again noticed how some of the lines on Alex's face were beginning to grow more obvious when he frowned like that. It might have been more the case that she'd only started noticing it more since he'd passed the mark of thirty years, just recently. Given that his features remained otherwise mild and perhaps even just slightly boyish, she thought those subtle lines added more than they took away.

Most other men of his age often appeared far more rugged and worn. Alex's features were only just beginning to gain some measure of maturity or character. It would still be quite a while before his features began to vaguely reflect those of her departed father.

Having stalled their southbound progress along the road, Alex continued with his hawk-related comments. "I used to see northern seahawks over Lake Ilinalta sometimes. I think they were supposed to be fairly common up in the north of Skyrim, but we only ever saw them around Falkreath during colder winters."

Monika shrugged again, nearly causing her shield to slip from her shoulder. "I s'pose I must've seen up them in Solitude, when I was real young, but I don't remember. Probably different from those seahawks around Wayrest." Just a little of her High Rock accent crept back into her voice at the mention of her former home at the top of Iliac Bay.

He tilted his head slightly. "Yes, those are different kinds of hawks. Either way, I have never seen any kinds of northern hawks on this side of the Jerall Mountains. Not since I have been in Cyrodiil. Maybe, there is a really cold winter on the way?"

Alex's accent didn't really reflect so much of his northern origins. That was one lasting affect of his grandmother's Imperial heritage and her influence over the family. Even the Pinewatch family name was really her doing. Like most Nords, grandfather Erik originally carried no family name, not until after they'd married and settled at that farm outside of Falkreath.

Considering the suggestion of a cold winter ahead, Monika glanced off toward the sun. It wasn't all that far from the apex of its arc across the open sky above. "Dunno about that cold winter. Maybe. Wouldn't think so, looking at the weather today."

Since distraction had interrupted the pace of their march, the tall woman took hold of her water flask, prompting her companion to do the same. The breeze whipped at her hair, exposing her slightly pointed ears. That was one of the few observable indications of her mixed heritage. At a glance, Monika looked much like any taller Nord. The changeable amber hue of her eyes was only slightly unusual. Her mother's Altmer blood manifested in other less obvious ways. Though she appeared no older than Alex, she had a good twenty years on him.

Sipping from his flask, Alex shifted his gaze back toward their destination. He couldn't quite see from there, but further downhill from their position, toward the south-east, The Black Road from Chorrol joined up with a section of The Red Ring Road. As implied in the name, that other road completely encircled all of Lake Rumare. In one way or another, all the major roads of Cyrodiil connected to that ring road, leading to the city at the heart of the Imperial Province.

Of course from where they were standing, the most prominent features in clear view were the Imperial Isle, the towering stone bridge that crossed the waters to that isle and those tall pale stone walls of the Imperial City. The turrets and towers of the city might have seemed impressive enough on their own. However above all of that, the White-Gold Tower rose from the centre of the city to seemingly impossible heights. Gleaming in the bright sunlight, that structure appeared to proclaim clear dominance over all else in the land. Given a clear line of sight and fair weather, the top of the Imperial Tower could be seen from many leagues away across several parts of Cyrodiil.

More than two years had passed by since Alex gained his first glimpse of the capital city and the Imperial Tower. Having previously lived all of his life within the confines of southern Skyrim, it was firstly Chorrol that redefined his notion of a city when he'd arrived from the northern lands. He had been more than somewhat surprised by the density of structures within the city walls. He'd never before seen so many people all living in the one place.

Then, his first visit to the Imperial City shifted his perception even further afield. The ruling city of the Empire, seemed more than six times the size of Chorrol, holding a populace in number far beyond his previous imaginings.

Of course even from Falkreath, Alex had been generally aware of the great cities of Cyrodiil and the bustling populations. Still, merely hearing the stories and actually seeing for himself had been two things that stood worlds apart.

With a mild sigh, Monika prompted. "Comon, that's enough standing around. We oughta keep moving."

Alex returned an agreeable nod. "Okay, then."

Since there was no urgent business at hand, there was no great rush. Nevertheless, Alex understood that Monika disliked standing about on the road like that when they had some place to be. He fell into step at her side as they continued the journey.

* * *

Though the past spring and summer had seemed fairly busy that year, available work had become progressively slower as the autumn progressed. That was a bit different from the activity of the previous year. Not just for Monika and Alex and the others based in Chorrol, but also for several of the other Fighters Guild's guildhalls of Cyrodiil, or so they'd heard.

Given that Fighters Guild contracts around County Chorrol had recently slowed to almost nothing ahead of the coming winter, the Orcish Guild Master with the unusual given name held no particular objection over those that wanted to take some time away from the guildhall. Karl gro-Baroth had other more important Guild matters to consider.

Taking full advantage of that lull in activity, Monika and Alex intended to pass a week or so away from Chorrol. With the Emperor's Day festivities taking place in the Imperial City on Sundas, they'd made tentative plans to meet up with friends for that. Monika also had some personal business to see to just outside of the city.

Not everyone at Chorrol's guildhall ventured so far afield. Young Vinnus Odiil had briefly considered coming along with them, but instead decided that he really should help out at the family farms just a few leagues south of Chorrol. Assisting with preparing the winter feed supplies for the livestock would probably keep him busy for at least a week.

Some hadn't left the guildhall at all. Unless they had anything more important to do, the two newest recruits to Chorrol's Fighters Guild were encouraged to hang about and get in some more training while things were fairly quiet. The Guild Master's second, Montrose, saw to it that Catius and Henrik assisted with that task, since neither of them really had anything else to do anyway.

Of course being one of the senior members of that guildhall, Monika had already participated in the training of the Guild's newest members and knew well enough that she'd probably be tasked with more of that if she didn't have something else to be doing, important or otherwise.

Even though their personal relationship remained vaguely defined, Monika's privilege of seniority with the Guild still extended in Alex's favour often enough. Accordingly, he was tagging along with her during the down time.

At a fairly casual pace, Monika and Alex had set off on foot from Chorrol on Fredas morning. Though the cloud cover still carried some threat that day, the skies showed some promise of the weather clearing. It looked like it might not even rain at all. There was no sign of that at all by the next morning. That was a notable change from the earlier part of the week.

Even though there was just a little more traffic out on the roads than usual, there hadn't been much likelihood of hitching a ride on any loaded wagons. It seemed that any transport or trade wagons headed in that direction had already been booked in advance by other travellers. That was another sign that the Emperor's Day festivities of that year would probably be far busier than it had been in recent times. Still, that hardly mattered. So long as they managed to make it to the Imperial City for Sundas, there was no great need to hurry.

Just as intended, Monika and Alex arrived at the Fort Ash settlement during that afternoon and were able to secure a modest room at the tavern for the evening. The partially renovated ruins of the old stone fortress roughly marked the halfway point between Chorrol and the Imperial City.

Of course on a fast horse or the like, the journey from that northern city to the heart of the Empire could reasonably be made in a single day. Otherwise, whether travelling on foot or by slow wagon, it would be necessary to leave before sunrise and still not expect to reach the destination until long after the sun had set. It was always far easier to just stop at Fort Ash, making for two days of relatively relaxed travel.

After taking a morning meal in the tavern, they'd left Fort Ash behind that morning in no great rush and maintained a moderate pace along The Black Road. Just a short distance from that settlement, they'd passed by a slow moving Legion rider ambling along the road on patrol. About an hour later, they'd passed another rider patrolling in the opposite direction, evidently headed back toward the small garrison at the settlement.

Only about an hour before they'd paused along the roadside to listen for unseen hawks, a pair of faster moving riders passed by on horseback, headed southbound. That was followed by an open wagon piled up to capacity and moving along just a bit faster than seemed safe for the precarious load of passengers.

Though the roads seemed relatively busy that Loredas, the journey remained otherwise uneventful. No dangerous animals or beasts had wandered close enough to the main thoroughfare to give rise to any sort of threat. Nor had there been any sneaky bandits trying their luck along the more isolated stretches of road. The greatest challenge of the journey had been negotiating muddy patches along the road and dodging the fresh horse shit, both of which certainly seemed to be somewhat more prevalent than usual.

Given that they'd eaten quite well back at Fort Ash that morning and that they could expect a hearty meal at their immediate destination, they hadn't bothered with stopping along the road to take a proper lunch break. Aside from pausing briefly to drink from their flasks a few times, they'd only taken a couple of apples from Alex's backpack and eaten them as they walked the road.

* * *

It wasn't so long before Alex and Monika neared those old ruins of stone at Fort Nikel. That place was just another one of those aged relics from the second era, long since abandoned and fallen to ruin. Unlike Fort Ash, which had been relatively recently returned to some sort of functional use, housing a small Legion garrison and serving as a conveniently positioned settlement, the ruins of Fort Nikel remained as more of a liability than an asset.

Most of the main aboveground structures of that ancient fortress were broken and crumbling. However, even though it was partially flooded, the underground portions of the fortress remained relatively intact. Upon repeated occasion, that place needed to be cleared of bandits or other kinds of troublemakers.

In the shade of the trees between the roadside and the old stone ruins, a pair of Legion riders were resting their mounts and chatting quietly. Aside from casting passing glances toward the travellers on the road and offering nods of acknowledgment, the soldiers appeared disinterested.

Just downhill a short distance from that point was where The Black Road connected to The Red Ring Road. Another pair of Legion riders ambled along the circuit road, coming from the direction of the northern side of Lake Rumare. Some other travellers could be seen off in the distance behind them. Some were on foot, walking alongside a larger sized wagon with another two smaller carts trailing along behind that.

Heading in from that particular direction, those travellers might have come from Aleswell or one of the other smaller farming settlements north of the Imperial Isle. They might have even come all the way from Bruma or Cheydinhal.

Following The Red Ring Road southward, there were further signs of busy activity in view as they crested that last rise and made their way through the outskirts of the village of Weye. Off to the south, another two Legion riders were slowly approaching along the road from that direction. It did seem like there were more patrols out on the roads that day than might be usual. It could also have been more the case of some coincidence that placed them in the same general locations at the same time.

An elderly woman watching the passing traffic from her front porch had given Alex and Monika a friendly wave as they passed her by. Though they'd seen her often enough, they didn't really know her, other than by name.

The path widened quite a bit where each of the branches of the circuit road converged at the main thoroughfare leading directly to the large bridge that crossed over Lake Rumare to the city. Along either side of that broad roadway was the main part of the village of Weye. Aside from the inn and the ramshackle stabling facility, there were just those five modest looking houses. Including the small houses back by the branches of The Red Ring Road and two other farmhouses further out, there were no more than twelve structures in the entire settlement.

Along that main road, there were even more signs of busy activity in view. There was certainly a great deal of traffic on the large stone bridge that afternoon. Some were on foot, some on horseback, along with a few wagons and carts piled up to capacity. Almost all were headed toward the city.

Just by the western end of the bridge, Flaenia, the elderly wife of one of the local fishermen was operating her roadside stall. Just behind her, her husband worked on his nets in the company of two other fishermen.

Under the open thatched roof that served as a roughshod stable of sorts, a young local lad sat dozing against one of the posts. There were seven horses stabled in the shade that afternoon. Though the sight of the boy lazing about at the stables was perfectly familiar, it was unusual to see more than one or two horses there on most days.

Approaching the Wawnet Inn, another somewhat familiar sight was in view. That old man snoozing on the bench outside the inn was there most afternoons around that time. It might have had something to do with his wife not wanting him idling around the house. Or it might have been that he knew that he wouldn't be able to remain idle, if he actually returned to the house. Either way, after tending his farming plots during the mornings, the old farmer often passed his afternoons by the inn. He rarely came inside, unless it was raining or something like that. Mostly, he just sat outside on that bench seat watching the world go by, in between taking short naps. His tobacco pipe had gone out and fallen down into his lap. Just as usual, he did not stir at all at their approach.

From the outside, the Wawnett Inn appeared rather run down compared to some of those better-looking establishments of Chorrol like the Oak and Crosier, the Empire Inn, or Arborwatch Tavern. The place was quite old and probably in need of a great deal more regular upkeep. It wasn't as though the roof leaked or the like. The stonework was still in good condition and even most of the timber was in fair condition. It was more that it was just really showing its age and that it looked a bit shabby.

Even so, with the periodic internal repairs of previous decades and those ground floor extensions along the northern wall, it was still in fair shape. The inn certainly appeared far more inviting from the inside than its outward appearance would initially suggest. Of course, that was really only obvious from the inside.

Though the Wawnet Inn generally saw enough passing trade to keep things ticking along, it really would've benefited from a lot more business. Outward appearances aside, there was one notable problem with being located so close to the Imperial City. A great many people passed by, but not nearly enough actually stopped there. Not on most days anyway.

Monika had previously suggested that the front side of the inn really needed to look a lot better to encourage more trade. Even though she had little to do with the general running of the inn, her vested interests extended a bit further than her longstanding friendship with the owner of the establishment. By then, that particular circumstance had been the case for just over two years.

Without breaking stride, Alex spoke up. There was a notable touch of surprise in his voice. "They have done something with the main road here. It was not like that a few weeks back."

"Yeah, looks like." She could see that some of the flat stones of the roadway had been replaced here and there. It was only that last part of the road from the inn to the bridge. It wasn't quite like the paving of the city, but it seemed that some effort had been put in to improve the road. It was a fair call that it was only done just ahead of the upcoming festival.

Just by the front entrance to the inn, Alex paused to turn his head and look back toward the west. The southern branches of the ring road were the focus of his interest. "I wonder how far off they might be?"

Turning to look the same way, Monika noticed that the wind had picked up quite a bit and shifted direction. It seemed to be blowing more of a south-westerly. She understood what Alex had suggested. She responded in a casual tone. "Yeah well, unless they were already here earlier today, probably wouldn't expect to see them until later. Probably after dark."

"They did say that they would meet us here today?" He sought confirmation again.

She released a little sigh. "Said so, in the last letter." She nodded toward the door.

In response to the nearby voices, the old man on the bench stirred briefly, but didn't actually wake. Or if he did, he didn't open his eyes.

It was easily past the mark of mid-afternoon as Monika pushed open the wooden door to the inn.

~O~


	2. Chapter 2

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 2

Loredas the 29th of Frostfall 4E50 Late Afternoon

Leaving behind the windy street that ran up the middle of the village of Weye, Monika Northwind and Alex Pinewatch passed through the front doorway of the Wawnet Inn. It was rather cramped about the front entryway and just a bit dim inside, despite the flickering lamplight coming from ahead. Just past the end of that short entryway, some stone stairs to the left led to the upper floor of the inn. The main tavern area was downstairs and off to the right. As usual, they headed straight through into the tavern to avoid blocking the passage to the front door.

Beyond the immediate vicinity of the sparsely placed lamps and candles, the place was still rather poorly illuminated. Though perhaps not quite as poorly as it used to be. The young Bosmer woman who worked there liked to have the place a little better lit. That way, she could keep an eye on the patrons more easily.

That particular afternoon, there were just a few more customers in the tavern than might be typical of any other Loredas. Some of the quieter patrons were regulars. Two of them were from the village of Weye. One was the husband of that elderly woman they'd spotted on the way into the small settlement. The other man was their neighbour. Another two men were traders who regularly stopped in on their way to and from the Imperial City.

In the corner farthest from the front door, another pair of men seated at a table were making a fair bit of noise. They were neither locals nor regulars. They were most likely travellers from further afield on their way to the Imperial City for the festival. It was nowhere near dark outside, but they both seemed already quite drunk and quite loud.

Emerging from open passageway in the middle of the back wall, another drunkard stumbled his way back into the main tavern area. Evidently, he was returning from visiting one of the bathrooms. He looked to be trying to make his way toward the rowdy pair in the corner, but he seemed to be having some significant trouble walking straight, or even walking at all.

Because of the inn's location, Legion soldiers often stopped by the tavern on their breaks at various times throughout the day. When they were there, they could always be counted upon to prevent any unruly trouble from breaking out in the tavern. However, there were none about at that particular time.

That young Wood Elf woman who helped run the place kept a concerned eye upon that noisy group in the corner. She had been working there at the Wawnet Inn pretty much ever since she'd come to Cyrodiil.

Two years had passed by since she'd escaped a life of indentured servitude in Thalmor controlled Arenthia. Though the former province of Valenwood had been part of the Aldmeri Dominion for more than two decades, the people of that land were hardly treated as equals by those Altmer from the former Summerset Isles. With the dire circumstances that she'd found herself in, she'd most likely have not survived at all if she'd not met up with that Khajiit in the forests of northern Elsweyr.

Even then, their survival had become more of a matter of unusually good fortune than anything else. When Monika and her group accidentally came across those two, they had been on the run from a small group of Aldmeri soldiers that were clearly up to no good on the wrong side of their closed borders.

If it hadn't been for the coincidence of that band of Guild Fighters being right there as the Khajiit hunter and the Bosmer girl took flight, things might have turned out very differently. It had really only been the desire of those foreign soldiers to avoid any further evidence of their incursion into Imperial Cyrodiil that precipitated a hasty withdrawal.

Shortly afterward, Monika helped the young Wood Elf secure employment at the Wawnet. All of that took place almost exactly two years before and she'd been living and working there ever since.

The slender Bosmer woman behind the service bar had evidently noticed Monika and Alex's arrival, but continued to shift her attention back and forth between the wobbly drunkard and those two noisier drunks in the far corner. The tenuously upright drunkard had finally made it back to the table, but hadn't quite figured out how he might get back into his chair.

Seeking the Bosmer's attention, Monika spoke first. "Belwen, how's everything?"

The Wood Elf took just a moment to respond, still keeping an eye upon those unruly patrons near the far corner. "Everything's good. Just a bit busier than usual. I hope you have both been well." She made an effort to affect a warm smile.

Monika returned the smile. "Yeah, we're good. Things have been a bit slow for us back in Chorrol, the past couple of weeks. Nothin' to complain about."

After glancing about, Alex spoke up. "Is Livia not here today?" He was referring to the washer woman from the Waterfront District of the city who had been working there part-time for the past few months. She was usually there on Fredas and Loredas to help out on those busier nights. Sometimes, even on Sundas.

Belwen shook her head slightly. "No, she's not. The festival." Her expression and tone of voice seem to convey that she didn't think it required any further explanation.

"Is that Monika?" A frail voice called out from down the passage behind the bar area.

Turning her head in that direction, Belwen called out just a little louder than her regular speaking voice. "Yes Nerussa. Monika and Alex have just arrived".

With some expectation, Alex looked toward the passageway in that back corner over behind the bar. He knew they would need to wait a few moments.

The very elderly Altmer woman with thinning white hair slowly emerged from the back area and moved gradually toward them. She shuffled around to the front side of the service bar, seemingly holding the edge of the counter for support as she walked. Her features were long and gaunt. That was fairly typical of many High Elves. However, those characteristics were further accentuated by her advanced years. She had probably seemed much taller when she was younger, but the years had also worn against her overall stature. With her slumping posture, she no longer reached near to Monika's height.

Alex stepped back slightly as the old woman approached Monika. As Nerussa moved close to the well-illuminated space near the middle of the service bar, the glow from the lamps highlighted her eyes. They both appeared pale and milky. Though not completely blind, she was very nearly so. Though her advanced years might have played some part in that circumstance, some of the rare and unusual alcoholic concoctions that she used to collect also had a great deal to do with it. Of course, it wasn't so much the 'collecting', but the liberal 'sampling' of certain substances that contributed to her deteriorating vision.

Almost two years back, Monika had bought into the Wawnet Inn as part owner. Of course aside from having a fair amount of idle gold at the time, the background behind that investment had a lot to do with the friendship between her mother and Nerussa. Those two had been rather close, back when Monika's mother still lived in the Imperial City.

Once she was near enough, the elderly Altmer reached out to take Monika's arm and then leaned in even nearer. "Monika. It's good to see you."

"Hello, Nerussa." Monika spoke in a soft tone.

The older woman affected a slight smile. "How long has it been since your last visit?"

"Only a few weeks." Monika offered.

Nerussa nodded. "That sounds right. You've been well?"

"Well enough. How about you?"

"I'm well enough." Nerussa waved her arm outward. "Alex is here with you?"

Alex stepped forward so that she could find him. "I am here, Nerussa. I am well also."

"Good, good." Nerussa's surprisingly firm grip found Alex's arm. "You're still going to the city tomorrow, for the festival?"

Monika answered for the both of them. "Yeah, that's the plan."

"I kept that second room upstairs empty for those friends of yours from Skingrad. Are they still coming?"

"Yeah. S'posed to be. Said so, last thing I heard from them. Oughta be here tonight."

Nerussa turned her head in Belwen's direction.

The Bosmer understood the unspoken question. "Yes, I've seen to it that both of those rooms are ready."

Nerussa shifted her impaired gaze back toward Monika. "The Emperor's Day festival should be something really special this year."

Monika nodded. "Didn't get to see it last year. We were busy."

The same time the previous year, Monika and Alex were still engaged with the last portion of that big goblin cull on that day. After that coordinated operation that saw the larger group sweeping through The Great Forest in search of wild goblin tribes to eliminate, they were engaged in a brief sweep of a smaller area north of Chorrol. It was just after that when the Guild Master sent most of Chorrol's Guild Fighters to join Alaron Suvaris and his compatriots from Cheydinhal on one more task. They were directed to hunt down goblins in that area to the east of Cropsford, in the southern parts of County Cheydinhal. There hadn't been too many goblins near to Cropsford, but they did find more than a few closer to the lower reaches of the Corbolo River. They hadn't finished with that job until a couple days after Emperor's Day.

Nerussa spoke again. "This year should be different. Fifty years since Martin Septim sacrificed himself to save us all. The Emperor is making a big thing out it, as he should."

Alex added something. "We were in the city for the one before that, but we did not get to see much of it." He didn't need to elaborate further, since everyone present knew what he meant.

That had been the day after they'd rescued Belwen and the Khajiit in The West Weald of southern County Skingrad. Forester was with them that day. However, it was that mysterious Dunmer who had indirectly led them to the Imperial City. The Dark Elf had run off, taking that Daedric object that Belwen brought with her from Arenthia. They were only able to pursue him through the night due to the Khajiit's superior tracking skill.

Though they'd managed to track the Dunmer all the way to the city, they had no luck finding him. They never did learn what had happened to him or the artefact. It became a matter to be handled directly by the Penitus Oculatus and perhaps the Synod.

Nerussa heard of some of that when they returned to the inn afterward. She might not have known of every detail, but enough to understand the general gist of it.

After the passing of a slightly lengthy pause, nodding to herself, Nerussa spoke again. "From what I've heard, this year's festival should be something to see. If I wasn't… well, I wouldn't be able to see anyway…" She waved her idle thought aside with a shake of her head.

No one responded to the comment.

Nerussa turned her head toward the Bosmer girl again. "Is that broth going to be ready for tonight?"

Belwen answered evenly. "Everything is ready. Just about to put it over the hearth."

"Good, good. Don't forget to add the spices once it reaches the proper simmer."

"I remember." The Bosmer maintained her even tone.

The elderly Altmer turned back toward Monika. "You must be thirsty. Can we get you anything?"

Monika again answered for both of them. "Nah, we're good. It can wait until dinner."

Nerussa accepted that with a silent expression, then shifted slightly as another thought came to mind. "What about Elwyn? How is your mother? Have you heard from her at all?" Of course, Monika's mother and Nerussa had been good friends before she went away to the north. Nerussa generally reminded Alex of that nearly every time he visited, using almost those exact same words.

Monika nodded. "I received another letter just a couple of weeks ago. Says she's doing well. I've written something to send back. Figured I'd wait to see if you to wanted to send anything."

The older woman nodded again. "That's good of you. I do have something that I've written for her. Well, I had Belwen write it out for me. My eyes aren't what they used to be. I'm not… I'm not getting any younger." Nerussa started to cough and reached for a cloth that she pulled out from her pocket, holding it up to her mouth.

Monika looked concerned. "Are you alright?"

Alex appeared just as concerned, but remained quiet.

Nerussa coughed into the cloth again and waved her hand. "It's just a bit of a cough. Probably just picked up something from someone in here. It's nothing. I'm fine."

Monika didn't seem so convinced. "Are you sure? You don't sound fine."

The older woman affected a tight grin, which failed to resemble a proper smile. "Got my medicines and potions. Livia brought them from the city on Fredas."

Monika briefly glanced to Belwen. The Bosmer girl didn't seem particularly surprised over the brief coughing fit. "Are you taking all the proper medicines?"

"Course I am. Just gets harder to shake these things off at my age." Nerussa patted Monika on the arm. "You should go clean up after your journey and I need to go rest. I get tired these days. Like I said, I'm not getting any younger."

Monika released a little sigh.

Nerussa nodded an offering of reassurance. "We'll talk later. After you've got yourselves settled in." She then slowly turned and made her way back to the area out behind the bar.

Monika waited until the elderly Altmer had disappeared out the back. She kept her voice low as she leaned in close to Belwen. "Has she been real sick lately?"

Belwen kept her voice just as low. "Not really. Just a bit of a cough, on and off all this week. There were some travellers in here last Sundas who sounded like that. She might've pick it up from them."

Alex looked toward the back hallway. He almost expected that Nerussa might hear the quiet exchange through the stone walls.

Still looking to the Bosmer, Monika affected a serious expression. "You should keep a close eye on her. Make sure she takes her potions. And that she doesn't run herself down."

Belwen nodded. "I do. As much as she'll let me."

Monika accepted with a curt nod, before looking to Alex, then toward the upper floor.

* * *

Leaving Belwen at the service counter, Monika and Alex headed on upstairs to that room located above the tavern area. Even though it was the best room at the Wawnet, it seemed rather cramped compared to the one that they rented at the Oak and Crosier back in Chorrol. Still, it was quite clean and tidy. The double-sized bed occupied the middle of the room, not leaving all that much room at either side. There was just enough room for those small bedside tables and the wardrobe in the corner along the western wall.

Alex shuffled around Monika as she closed the door. After removing his shield and bow, he struggled briefly with getting his pack off his back before setting it down upon the narrow cupboard by the northern wall.

He again noted that now familiar portrait of the Altmer man hanging upon the side wall. The elderly High Elf appeared rather distinguished in appearance. The first time that he saw it, Alex thought that he might have been Nerussa's husband or something like that. Back then, he had little idea of Ocato of Firsthold; the High Chancellor of the Elder Council who became Potentate a short while after Martin Septim was gone. In the absence of an Emperor to take the Ruby Throne, he'd struggled to keep the Empire from falling apart for a period of ten years. Right up until the moment that he was killed by foreign assassins.

Without knowing Nerussa directly, noting that the portraits of the current Emperor, Titus Mede and the former Emperor, Uriel Septim occupied those slightly lesser rooms might have led to some erroneous conclusions. However, since the first time that he'd been to the inn, Alex had heard Nerussa's views more than once.

She firmly believed in the need for the stability and order that only the Empire of Cyrodiil seemed capable of providing. Nerussa commonly cited that seven-year period of turmoil that preceded the rise of Titus Mede as clear evidence in support of her assertions. Those years between Ocato and Mede very nearly brought about the complete collapse of the Cyrodiilic Empire. Though the new Emperor had managed to retain only five of the nine provinces of Tamriel under the banner of Imperial rule and only just recently re-established some trade alliances with certain parts of Elsweyr, that was still far better than what might have emerged from a completely collapsed Empire.

Still, Nerussa carried a great respect for what Ocato had managed to do during his relatively brief time in charge of the Empire. There were many things that remained beyond his power to completely forestall. Nonetheless, he did do his very best to hold together those provinces that could be persuaded to remain loyal to the Empire, whether an Emperor occupied the throne of not. She viewed him as an Altmer of great character and fortitude.

By contrast, Nerussa held great contempt for those Altmer clans that took over the rule of her ancestor's homeland. It was those Thalmor clans who were responsible for the overthrowing of the government of the Summerset Isles and formally breaking away from the Empire not all that long after the Oblivion Crisis had been set aside.

At some point, those same Thalmor clans renamed that province as Alinor, then when the timing seemed ripe, played some part in the deposing of the governing body of Valenwood and its subsequent separation from the Empire.

Those two former provinces then became joined as the new Aldmeri Dominion, closing off the borders to outsiders. That was something that harkened back to other short-lived alliances of much earlier times. It seemed driven by the arrogant notion that only those pure Altmer of those lands were fit to rule. It was too early to tell whether that new version of an Aldmeri Dominion would last longer than those of the Second Era.

Though never conclusively determined, it was widely believed that agents of those Thalmor clans were responsible for the assassination of Potentate Ocato in the tenth year of the new era. Though she really knew nothing more than anyone else, Nerussa certainly believed that had been the case, adding further to her firm resolve. By her measure, any group of Altmer responsible for the killing of such a great man deserved no respect at all.

Alex had heard a lot of that from Nerussa before and more of it from Monika, repeating things that the older woman had previously said. He had been thinking about some of those things as he watched Monika setting aside her shield and weapons and then rummaging through her pack. He sensed from her expression that her mind seemed detached from what she was doing. He thought he might have some idea of what was on her mind.

With some hesitation, he prompted her. "Do, ah… do you think Nerussa is okay?"

Monika kept rummaging through the items of her pack. Without looking back, she responded in a distracted fashion. "Dunno. Hopefully. Probably. She's old, but she's not weak."

"Yes, you are probably right." Alex's thoughts turned to how his grandmother had passed away. She grew ill one winter and just never recovered. Less than three years back, his mother had also passed in a manner not so different. Of course, elderly Altmer were generally far more resilient than Imperials or Nords. However, Nerussa wasn't looking quite so resilient right then. He chose not to give voice to those thoughts.

"So long as she keeps taking those potions." Monika tried to sound confident.

Alex decided to leave it at that, shifting the topic of conversation. "Do you think that the Emperor's Day festival is really going to be that special, like Nerussa says?"

Settling upon the clothing that she'd pulled out from her pack, she released a little sigh. "Really, it's probably gonna be a lot like that last time we were there. Only there'll be lots more of it to see, I s'pose. Probably a lot more musicians and performers and stuff like that."

Alex nodded silently, recalling something of what he'd observed that previous time, two years before. Since they were chasing after that mysterious Dunmer at the time, they didn't have much opportunity to take it all in.

Monika added another passing thought. "I heard that the Emperor is gonna be hosting the competitions in the Arena. I expect that won't be anything like the spectacle of stupidity that went down last year."

As a rule, neither of them held much interest in the spectacle of the Imperial Arena, but they'd still heard of what happened on Emperor's Day of last year. While they were still culling wild goblins in the regions to the east of the city, it turned out that the organisers of the Arena had also decided to do something with goblins that day.

It had been a very long time since there'd been an annual 'Goblin Chase' on horseback as part of any Emperor's Day celebrations. That particular tradition hadn't been brought back as something to be included in the official festivities. However, the Arena had possession of a pair of savage berserker goblins that had been captured and sent there in cages. Someone had the bright idea to host a spectacle that involved a pair of armoured Arena fighters riding out onto the sands upon horseback to run down the goblins and put them to the blade.

From what they'd later heard, none of that went at all according to plan. During the fighting, a goblin managed to dismount one of the riders. As the second rider was trying to assist his team-mate, the large goblin had somehow managed to pin the horse against the iron fencing, then used the beast as a springboard to bound up and over the fence and into the crowded public viewing stands. The second goblin failed to follow the first, becoming partially skewered on the top of the barrier.

In the chaos that followed, several people were badly injured. Not all of them directly by the berserker goblin. It was probably something of a small miracle that only three spectators lost their lives before the goblin was killed and order restored.

Undoubtedly, precautions would ensure that nothing like that would be happening again. Especially with the Emperor present and overseeing the proceedings.

Given that they wouldn't be needing them the next day, Alex was looking at the best way to stack their shields and weapons with the limited storage space. Distractedly, his mind turned to the Emperor's son and heir. "Do you think we might see Treb tomorrow?"

Monika shrugged slightly. "Maybe. I think he's s'posed to be hosting an address in the central district. After midday, I think."

"I would like to see what he has to say."

"Yeah, probably no reason why we can't do that."

Alex nodded, returning a mild smile.

The first time that they'd met Crown Prince Attrebus had been quite by accident. Alex didn't even know who he was at first. Attrebus had been on his way to visit Castle Chorrol in the company of his pregnant wife and their entourage of bodyguards. Since they'd been dressed plainly, their identities were not immediately obvious. At that same time, Monika and Alex had been on their way to the Imperial City when they'd inadvertently ended up seated at the same table in the tavern at Fort Ash.

For whatever reason, Treb seemed to have taken a liking to the both of them. At the time, he'd cited his envy of the freedom of lifestyle that came with serving as a member of the Fighters Guild. He'd also lamented the weight of the responsibilities afforded by his own destiny.

Upon those subsequent occasions of Monika and Alex's brief dealings with the Penitus Oculatus, Attrebus had taken an interest in their activities and seen to it that they were treated well by the Inspectors and Agents. In reward for their service to the Empire, he'd also seen to it that they received sizeable bonuses when they helped head off a threat posed by Thalmor operatives. That was how Monika came to have enough gold to buy into the Wawnett Inn and how Alex ended up with the title to that plot of farming land on the outskirts of Weye.

They'd last seen the Prince just a few months before when he'd again been visiting Chorrol on official business. Of course, he remembered them well enough to exchange brief greetings when he'd stopped in at the Guildhall, but there hadn't been opportunity for anything more than that.

Upon that particular occasion, the Lady Annaïg was not with him. Presumably, she was back at the Imperial Tower with her infant daughter. With a sly wink, Treb had suggested that there might be another royal heir on the way, but it was too early to say. He also suggested that they keep that to themselves for the time being.

Monika started to unbuckle her leather armour, then paused, apparently changing her mind. Her attention turned toward the noise from the wind rattling the windows. "That wind is getting up. I wonder if the weather is gonna turn."

Alex took a few steps nearer to the window to look outside. "It is just a bit of wind. No cloud to speak of. Only a little, all the way off to the far south-west." He shifted close to the pane to get a better view. The sun was just beginning to disappear beyond the visible horizon. "From the look of the western sky, it will be another fair day tomorrow. Red sky at night…"

"Sailor's delight." Monika finished the phrase as she drew close enough to look over his shoulder.

"I was going to say, 'farmer's delight'. That is what we used to say around Falkreath."

Monika chuckled lightly, fluffing his hair and planting a peck on his cheek before stepping away. "Yeah, I know." She released a sigh as she looked over their equipment. "This can wait. I wanna go see if I can get cleaned up in one of the bathrooms. Maybe have a quick talk with Nerussa after that."

Alex headed back toward their possessions. "I can get this tidied up. That will keep me busy until you have finished with the bathroom."

Monika returned a little smile. "Alright, then." She gathered up her casual clothing and headed for the door.

Alex smiled to himself as he returned to looking at packing away some of their equipment.

~O~


	3. Chapter 3

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 3

Loredas the 29th of Frostfall 4E50 Early Evening

Monika returned to the Ocato room on the upper level of the Wawnet Inn. Dressed in her casual clothing after visiting the bathroom, she carried her leather armour and boots under her arm. She saw that Alex had obviously been busy during the time she'd been downstairs speaking with Nerussa in her quarters out behind the service bar. All of their possessions had been neatly packed away so that only their backpacks occupied the top of the narrow cupboard along the northern wall.

Evidently, Alex had already been downstairs to one of the bathrooms to clean up as well, as he'd also changed out of his leathers into plain clothes. As she came through the doorway, he was busy trying to arrange his leathers to hang in that wardrobe by the window so that they could be aired. With that in mind, he'd be leaving the wardrobe doors open as usual.

Alex looked over to Monika as she closed the door to their room behind her. "I can take care of that for you." He was obviously referring to her armour and boots.

She moved about to the same corner and handed everything over. Looking out through the closed windows, she could see that it had grown dark outside by that time. The wind still rattled the panes in their frames. It almost seemed as though a storm was on the way, but the clear skies indicated otherwise.

Tending to the arrangement of Monika's leathers in the wardrobe beside his own, Alex gave voice to the obvious question on his mind. "How did your talk with Nerussa go?"

Monika swept her hair back from her face with her hand, releasing a little sigh. "Yeah, she's okay, I think. At least, that's what she keeps saying."

"Are you sure?" Alex didn't seem to think she sounded so convinced.

She shrugged. "Yeah, ah… dunno. I think so. Like I said, she's old, but she's not weak. Says she's taking her potions."

Alex nodded, murmuring a noise of agreement. He decided not to press the matter.

Watching Alex finish hanging her leathers, Monika shifted the subject. "I'm getting hungry. You wanna head back downstairs?"

"Okay." Alex glanced out the window, then returned another nod. He'd already been thinking much the same thing. He'd also been wondering whether their friends had made it to the inn yet.

* * *

Just as Monika and Alex were making their way down the hall toward the lower level, it seemed that the noise from the tavern area had suddenly risen from a dull roar to sound like more of a ruckus. They exchanged expressions of mild concern as they headed down the steps.

"You heard the lady." A male voice called out loudly.

With the tavern area coming into view, they could see that two Legion soldiers were taking hold of those three drunken men over in the far corner. Alex had noted the Legionnaires' arrival just as he was heading upstairs only a short while earlier. Monika had also noticed them in the tavern when she'd left Nerussa's quarters.

One Legion soldier held two of the drunks from behind. Neither of them appeared to really have much fight in them. One looked like he'd been punched in the nose. The third of the group seemed slightly more coherent than the other two and looked to be providing that other soldier with some argument. It looked like he was trying to beg off the soldiers from taking action.

Some of the other patrons had left their seats and retreated toward the other corner at that end of the tavern. Effectively, they were just trying to keep well out of the way of whatever was going on.

Belwen stood behind the bar with her arms folded and a stern expression of barely subdued anger. It was a stark contrast from her generally placid outward demeanour.

At the opening to the passageway back behind the bar, Nerussa leaned against the stone wall bracing herself with her left arm. Evidently, she was paying close attention to what was transpiring. Even if she couldn't see, she could hear clearly enough. Her expression reflected something of annoyed impatience.

Since the matter appeared to be well in hand with the Legion soldiers, Alex and Monika kept out of it, shifting over to one side of the tavern area to avoid getting in the way.

"Move along. You've caused enough trouble." The Legion soldier prodded the drunk forward as his comrade tried to steer those other two in the same direction.

"But we paid our coin'n'that." The drunk slurred his words slightly, pleading with the soldier in a distinctively whiney tone.

"Don't care. You've caused more than enough trouble and the lady of the tavern wants you out of here. That's that."

"But… but we awlready paid fer rooms." The drunk continued his slurred protests as the soldiers manoeuvred the trio toward the main bar on the way toward the exit.

Belwen looked to Nerussa. Even though the Altmer wouldn't have been able to see the younger woman, her expression and a gesture of her hand seem to indicate she was fully across what was going on.

Belwen responded accordingly. "The coin for the rooms will be returned, less a small fee for the cost of the mess that needs to be cleaned."

"Sounds fair to me." As he steered the complaining drunk toward the counter, the soldier prompted him with a firm shake of the shoulder held in his grip.

"Yessir, c'mpletly fair."

Belwen counted out the Septims and dropped them into a cloth coin-bag. The soldier shoved that bag roughly into the drunk's hand, then steered him toward the door.

The soldier with the other two drunkards called back. "Ma'am? If they've left anything in those rooms, you just let us know and we'll get it sorted."

Belwen returned a quick nod, then dashed off to check on that.

One of the Legion soldiers could still be heard as he herded the drunks along the passageway toward the door. "Go on, keep moving. It'll be the stables for you lot… unless you go giving us any more trouble. You don't wanna know that means."

Nerussa shook her head in disgust and shuffled back toward her quarters.

With the spectacle and threat of trouble alleviated, the other patrons of the tavern settled back into position at their tables. A dull murmur of voices slowly resumed.

Only a brief moment passed by before Belwen returned from those smaller rooms located along the hallway in the northern wall. She'd retrieved two knapsacks and a larger bag and dumped them all on the floor by the counter. She left them there, confident that the soldiers would take care of it.

Alex and Monika waited patiently until Belwen paused for a moment. She hadn't yet returned to the other side of the counter.

Monika spoke first. "So then, what happened?"

The Bosmer girl shook her head in annoyance. "Far too much ale. Those strangers started to fight amongst themselves. It looked like it might spill over to affect others, but the soldiers put a stop to all of it fairly quickly. So, no real trouble. Except that now I have another mess to clean up. One of them vomited on the floor." She shook her head again in disgust.

At just that moment, a familiar male voice echoed loudly from the passage of the inn's entryway. "My word, what's all that about?"

A woman's voice followed. "Comon, keep moving, so we can close the door. The wind's blowing the leaves in here."

All three standing by the service counter turned and shifted their gaze to look toward the source of those voices.

The Imperial man of fairly typical stature appeared from the end of the passageway, wearing his well-used mithril armour, which really seemed more dull and grey than silvery in that lighting. He was holding his slightly less scarred mithril helmet under his arm. The man's neatly cropped dark hair showed no immediate sign of the grey flecks in that slightly subdued light. Even though the grey had also started to reach his chin, his neatly trimmed goatee beard also appeared perfectly uniform in that lighting. At a glance, his general appearance seemed a fair reflection of his actual age. He looked to be in his early-to-mid forties.

The Imperial woman just behind him easily looked to be perhaps fifteen years his junior, though it was more the case that the years had been fairly kind to her. In truth, she was just seven years younger than her companion. She gently nudged him forward with the steel helmet in her right hand.

In a somewhat practical fashion, the Colovian woman's dark brown hair was cut so that it remained well above the line of her shoulder. In contrast to her companion's more exotic apparel, she wore a set of customised steel armour forged in the style more typical of Colovian iron. Her sword and shield were also fashioned from fine Colovian steel.

Malcolm Forester raised his eyebrows as he caught sight of Monika, Alex and Belwen standing by the counter. Even by the better lighting near the service bar, his pale blue eyes seemed almost grey. "Has there been some trouble here at the inn?"

Rena Maplewood jabbed her husband in the ribs with her helmet.

Forester cleared his throat in a rather noisy manner and started again. "Oh yes, of course. Perhaps, what I should say is… my greetings to you all. I do hope that everyone is well."

Alex frowned slightly, above a mild grin. He was just thinking how that moment seemed slightly odd. Generally, Forester tended to be overly formal without any prompting at all and Rena's behaviour typically leaned more toward the other end of such things.

Monika elected to simplify the exchange, responding swiftly. "Yeah, we're all good here. And you?"

Rena answered first. "Yeah, we're all good. Maybe just a bit tired and hungry from that long march. Well, I know I am."

Just then, the Suthay Khajiit of slightly shorter stature appeared from behind them, affecting a wide grin that exposed his feline teeth. The sandy coloured cat removed his shiny helmet and wiggled his pointy ears, ruffling the fur on his head.

With a touch of surprise in his voice, Alex reflected the Khajiit's grin. "Ras'Dar, we had no idea you were coming along."

The diminutive Khajiit nodded in an animated fashion. "Ras'Dar is very pleased to be seeing this year's festival in our Imperial City. This one thinks it might be very much like celebrations held in Dune to honour The Mane. Only not so hot and dusty, yes?"

Monika responded with a slight shrug and mildly bewildered expression. "Yeah, I s'pose. Something like that."

Of course, none of those others present had ever been to Dune before and they'd most certainly never seen The Mane of Elsweyr.

Except for what little Ras'Dar had previously told them in passing conversation, none of them really knew that much about that city at the western edge of Elsweyr's Anequina Desert, or of any such celebrations held in honour of the cultural leader of the Khajiit.

Still grinning broadly, Ras'Dar looked past Monika and Alex to the Bosmer girl standing just behind them. "Belwen is also well, yes?"

Belwen affected a little smile. "Yes, well enough. It's good to see you." She shifted her gaze toward Forester and Rena. "We have that upstairs room reserved for you. I suppose that there's a vacant room for Ras'Dar as well, since those drunken troublemakers won't be staying here now."

Forester nodded and cleared his throat again. "Yes, very good. So then, what was all that about? Those individuals with the Legion soldiers?"

Monika spoke up and provided the short version of it, before shifting the subject. "So then, you gonna go settle into your rooms first?"

Rena wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "I just wanna go sit down and get something to eat and drink, in pretty much that order, I think. My legs are sore and I'd kill for some hot food."

Belwen headed around the behind the counter, reaching for the mop and bucket. "I will need to go clean up around that table first."

Those Legion soldiers had occupied the table nearest to the service counter. Their dishes and half-filled mugs were still there and they were expected to be back soon. That vacated table in the far corner was the only one free at that time.

The Khajiit stepped forward, heading toward the Bosmer girl. "Ras'Dar will help with the cleaning, yes?"

Belwen shook her head. "No, no. That's for me to do."

Ras'Dar stood a little taller. "This one must insist."

Monika interjected. "Let him help, if he wants to."

Belwen passed over some cleaning rags to the Khajiit, then headed for the table in the corner with the mop and bucket in hand. Ras'Dar followed along right behind her.

Monika glanced over toward the corner, then back to Forester and Rena. "Better give them a few moments with that." After a pause, she nodded in the direction of the steaming pot simmering over the fire. "Belwen has a spicy clam broth over the hearth. I'm sure it'll be good. That's what we'll be having."

Forester looked toward the fireplace with an expression of mild ambivalence.

Rena didn't seem at all fussy. "Yeah, sounds good to me. I could just about eat the leather straps off my boots… with a bit of seasoning."

Alex posed a question. "Any trouble along the road from Skingrad?"

Forester responded with an absent expression. "No. None at all."

Rena released a little huff. "Only trouble was that all the wagons headed eastward were already full. So, we needed to head off real early, well before the dawn."

Forester added something more. "Yes well, there did seem to be quite an upturn in the traffic along The Gold Road today. Perhaps also a few more Legion patrols than usual, I should think."

Monika responded directly to that. "Yeah, we noticed a fair bit of the same. Both yesterday and today."

"We set off yesterday and stayed overnight at Fort Ash." Alex offered the unnecessary explanation.

Forester nodded. "Yes well, sadly there's nothing like that between Skingrad and here. It might well make for an easier journey, if there were."

Rena's expression indicated that she easily agreed with that notion.

During the pause in the exchange, the sound of the front door being opened preceded the return of those two Legion soldiers from outside. Monika directed their attention to the bags on the floor. One of the soldiers volunteered to take them back out to the drunks at the stable. The other returned to his abandoned meal at their table.

Only a few moments afterward, Monika noted Belwen and Ras'Dar returning from the corner. "Looks like they're all done over there."

Rena looked over toward the corner with a sigh. "Yeah, I just wanna go sit down. You know what I want?" That last part was directed to her husband.

Forester understood. "Of course."

Alex looked to Monika. "I can get this."

Monika returned a quick nod.

As Alex, Forester and Ras'Dar remained by the service bar to organise the meals with Belwen, Monika and Rena headed for the table near the rear corner. Along the way, they collected two extra chairs, so that there were enough for everyone.

Rena set down her shield against the wall in the corner, then dropped her backpack up against it. She slightly loosened the buckles holding her steel armour as she flopped down into the seat with a sigh of relief.

Monika passed a comment as she sat. "You do look tired."

The other woman waved it off. "I'll be fine, once I get some of that broth."

"Yeah, I'm pretty hungry too." Monika glanced back toward the service counter. It was likely to be a short while before the men returned.

Rena leaned forward in her chair, resting her elbows upon the table and placing her right hand over her left. "So, when are you two gonna look at settling down properly? Maybe think about starting a family or something?"

Monika returned a frown with a crooked grin. "Not in any rush for that. Just because you and Forester..."

Rena responded with a mischievous smirk. "You haven't thought about it? Children?"

Monika responded with an aborted chuckle that came out as more of a snort. "Plenty of time for that, later. I'm still taking a potion."

Rena nodded in an ambivalent fashion, indicating her understanding.

Monika paused on a thought with raised eyebrows. "Are you ah...?" Leaning forward on her elbows in a manner that mirrored her friend, she looked at Rena far more closely.

Rena understood the unspoken question. "No, I'm not. We've ah... well, we were trying. Well, sort of. But it looks like I might not be able to…"

Monika returned a sympathetic expression. She wasn't quite sure what to say.

Rena continued. "I went to see a healer at Skingrad's College of Whispers. The old Argonian reckoned that I'm not too old, but it looks like something has affected my… well, my ability to bear children."

"Are you sure?"

Rena shrugged. "Well, I did go see one of the healers over at the temple as well. A local woman. She pretty much said the same thing. Except for also suggesting more regular prayer to the Divines."

"I'm so sorry."

Rena shrugged again. "It is what it is, I s'pose. Never really thought about it too much before. Not until after Forester and I married. I think… I think he's more disappointed. Maybe more so, 'cause he thinks that it might have been something to do that glowing rock that we came across in the forest last year. That thing that fell from the heavens. When we were hunting down those goblins."

Monika nodded solemnly. Though she was nowhere near where that thing fell from the skies, she recalled them telling her about that when they all regrouped at the campsite near the Lindai ruins.

Of course, they both knew well enough that Forester did have a son who lived with his mother in Kvatch. However, he'd been forbidden from having any contact with young Mattias. As they understood it, it wasn't as though he'd intentionally done anything to bring about that outcome. It was more that that he'd become far too obsessed with the notion of becoming a battlemage with the Synod, than being a good husband or father. Ultimately, he'd managed to fail in each of those endeavours. Evidently, he'd become a different man after more than a decade with the Fighters Guild in Skingrad.

Even though Rena hailed from Kvatch, before relocating to Skingrad less than two years back, she had no real idea of whether she'd ever met Forester's first wife or his son. She supposed that she probably had at least seen them at some point, but would've held no idea of exactly who they were at the time.

Rena opened her mouth to say something, but stopped short, looking over toward the service counter. The topic of conversation was effectively interrupted by the others returning to the table. Both women leaned back in their chairs, falling conspicuously silent. Once the meals and mugs had been set down and everybody was seated about the table, dinner became the most important order of business.

~O~


	4. Chapter 4

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 4

Loredas the 29th of Frostfall 4E50 Evening

The five Guild Fighters were all seated about the table in the far corner of the tavern area at the Wawnet Inn. After the passage of a relatively short period of time, almost everyone had finished his or her meals. Of course, that was everybody but for Forester. As was often the case, he was still working his way through it long after everyone else was done.

Though the choice of beverage varied more broadly, everyone had opted for that spicy clam broth that Belwen had prepared according to Nerussa's specific recipe.

Forester had commented only once that the broth seemed just slightly spicier than he'd expected. A retort from his wife reminded him to eat his broth, instead of complaining. Any further complaints were limited to the breathy noise that he made right before reaching for his ale. Even that provoked a dark look from Rena.

At the opposite end of things, Ras'Dar mentioned that he thought that the broth could have been a little spicier, but he still thought that it was quite good. He might have finished it even sooner, if he didn't have the bread-roll to dip into the broth. He saved the last piece of the bread to mop up every last drop of the spicy concoction. The Khajiit appeared quite content by the time that he'd finished.

Waiting for Forester to finish with his meal might have resulted in an uncomfortably prolonged silence. Taking a sip from her mug, Rena looked across the table to Monika. "You been busy?"

Monika returned a mild shrug. "Not lately. Things have been slowing down around Chorrol with the winter coming. This winter might be even quieter than the last one."

Rena nodded. "Yeah, looking that way in Skingrad too. Not much Guild work on the books, right now."

Alex spoke up. "Last spring was fairly busy for us. So was the summer."

Monika wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, I s'pose. The spring brought some of the usual kinda stuff. Bit of an upturn in wild animals plaguing some of the farming communities." She paused, recalling that she'd already spoken of some of that the last time they spoke, when they'd visited them in Skingrad. That was only a couple of months before.

Alex rubbed his shoulder, recalling an injury that he'd sustained during the spring. A large brown bear had decided that Odiil Farms made for a better home than The Great Forest and they'd been sent off on contract to go deal with it. During that encounter, even though he'd switched from his bow quickly enough, Alex had been a bit slow raising his shield and was rewarded with a nasty gash to the right shoulder as the bear's claw tore through his leathers.

Once the bear had been dispatched, Monika was able to stanch the bleeding and treat the wound with healing magic. With that prompt treatment, the injury had not been quite so life threatening. Nevertheless, he still thought that he felt a twinge of discomfort in his shoulder from time to time.

During that last time that they'd all been together in the same place, Monika and Alex had also already spoken of some of those other activities that followed during the period of the summer months.

Alex decided to mention some of it again anyway. "There were those bandits during the summer."

Rena nodded. "Yeah, you told us about that."

Alex open his mouth again, then closed it, silently recalling some of what had been previously recounted.

By the time that the summer had come around again, another common problem had returned. The relatively recent goblin culling of the previous autumn had inadvertently made the wilderness of County Chorrol just a little bit safer for roaming bandits and the like.

It hadn't only been about roaming highwaymen seeking opportunity from unsuspecting travellers along the roads. By the time that the summer was in full swing, two distinct groups of bandits had moved into the area about Chorrol. As it passed, neither of those groups had been quite so large, but both had managed to cause a fair deal of alarm.

A gang of five outlaws had come down from Skyrim to try their luck along the roads of northern Cyrodiil. Firstly, in County Bruma, then later making their way westward across to County Chorrol. Since they seemed so adept at avoiding Legion patrols along the roads and hiding in the forest, the Fighters Guild had been contracted to go out to find them.

Upon a number of occasions, abandoned campsites left behind by the bandits had been found not too far from the roads where travellers had been robbed. However, every time that they'd thought that they might catch up with those bandits, they were nowhere to be found.

Though no bounties were collected for the capturing or killing of those northern bandits, it had still been a win of sorts. It had been assumed that the Nord bandits had learned that the local Guild Fighters were after them and that they retreated back to the north. That assumption was supported by the reports from Bruma of a brief run of similar assaults along the roads near that city during the tail end of summer, before it finally ceased altogether. Presumably, they went back up to Skyrim.

The second group of bandits had been a trio of Khajiit. The group comprised of a pair of Cathay of typical stature and appearance and another much larger Cathay-raht covered in dark coloured fur. They'd been robbing travellers along stretches of The Black Road. In response, Guild Fighters had gone out a couple of times after the Khajiit, but ultimately failed to locate them.

According to reports, after an altercation with a pair of Legion soldiers along the main road just near Fort Ash, the three felines fled into The Great Forest, never to be seen again. It had been assumed that they'd also moved along to other territories.

Rena glanced to her husband, noting that he was taking even longer to finish his meal than she would've expected. "Yeah, we'd been on the lookout for those three Khajiit, but they didn't show up around our area. It's been fairly quiet on the roads outside Skingrad. Least as far as that sort of thing."

"Not so quiet on streets inside Skingrad." Ras'Dar's ears flattened back a bit.

Monika narrowed her eyes. "How's that?"

Rena responded first. "Ras'Dar had a little run-in with someone a few weeks back."

The Khajiit looked agitated. "This one believes that there is Thieves Guild inside the walls of Skingrad. Clever thief took Ras'Dar's new sword in the Low Street marketplace without being seen."

Rena interrupted. "You got it back."

Ras'Dar continued. "Only good fortune allowed Khajiit to spot the thief and give chase. Thief worked with another, trying to confuse the chase. Ras'Dar's sword only dropped from walk-bridge to provide escape."

Rena reinforced her previous comment. "Yeah, but you got it back. As far as thieves go, they weren't all that clever."

The Khajiit's fur ruffled along his neck as his ears twitched. "Not more clever than Ras'Dar, but still thieves."

Rena shrugged slightly. "Doesn't make 'em Thieves Guild."

With a frown, Alex looked to Monika. "You have always said that the Thieves Guild is not… well, not really real."

Monika's eyelids fluttered. "That's not what I said. What I said… is that it doesn't officially exist. There most likely is some sort of Thieves Guild, but as far as I can tell, you gotta be in it to really know about it."

Rena added her own thoughts. "Wouldn't be much of a secret organisation, if they put up banners on a Guildhall and held open recruitments."

Monika nodded. "Yeah, that's right. As far as the rest of us are concerned, it's just something that you hear about from time to time, but it's not like you're gonna hear much more than stray whispers and rumours. Like the Dark Brotherhood. That's s'posed to be a guild of assassins that operate like some sort of Daedra worshipping cult, but nobody really knows."

Ras'Dar responded in a somewhat sullen tone. "This one still thinks thieves on streets of Skingrad are too clever by far."

Rena spoke again. "Yeah well, if there's anything more to it, then I guess we'll see. I was more worried about vampires on the streets of Skingrad."

"Vampires?" Alex sounded surprised.

Rena returned a wide-eyed expression. "Oh yeah, I didn't say. That was just after we saw you last. The Count's people contracted the Guild to go find some vampires that were s'posed to be coming into the city at night. We hadn't even heard anything about it beforehand."

"I hate vampires." Monika sneered.

Forester nodded his agreement, without verbally entering the conversation. He was just about finished with his spicy broth.

Rena was about take a sip from her mug, but held off. "Yeah, me too. But wasn't all that big of a deal, as it turned out. There was just the two of 'em, holed up in a cave not far outside the city."

Monika interrupted. "Not that abandoned mine out past Silorn?"

"No, no. A cave just near the city. To the south. Just about right under the castle."

"Ah, that one." Monika knew all too well which one she was referring to.

"They didn't give us much trouble. Weren't real smart or real tough. Went down fairly easy. The cave's all boarded up again. That was that."

Having finally finished his meal, Forester changed the topic of conversation by giving voice to something else that came to mind. "Did you hear about those wildfires down in County Leyawiin, at the end of the summer?"

Reaching for her mug, Monika nodded. "Yeah, read something about that in The Black Horse Courier." That was only about a fortnight after they'd been over to Skingrad.

Alex frowned slightly. "I thought it was just some parts of the southern forests that were affected."

Forester cleared his throat. "Well, yes. For the most part. From what I'd heard, it was only the Blackwood on the eastern side of the Niben. Still, I imagine that it must have been an unusually dry season for such a thing to occur. As I understand it, there's quite a bit of swampland throughout the eastern parts of those woodlands."

Glancing to her husband, Rena interjected. "We'd spoken with some traders that had just come up from Leyawiin, via Bravil. They told us that they almost lost Blankenmarch."

"Blankenmarch?" Alex didn't seem to recognise the name.

Monika enlightened him. "Small settlement, just east of Leyawiin."

Forester continued. "From what we'd heard, it was rather fortunate that the Count of Leyawiin was in a position to enlist the aid of the Legion contingent stationed in the south and that the Imperial Navy also had vessels in port at the time."

Rena chimed in. "Yeah, we heard that the Imperial soldiers helped beat back the fires just outside of Blankenmarch. Woulda lost the settlement, otherwise."

Forester resumed. "Added to that, they managed to keep the fires from reaching any of the drawbridges along the river. I did also hear that there'd been some serious concern down at Water's Edge. Most of the structures there are primarily timber and there are no stone walls to protect the township."

Even though half of them had never been there, they were all aware of how important Water's Edge had become to the south over the past few decades. Though the township was perhaps no more than a third of the size of either Leyawiin or Bravil, the docks of Water's Edge had become almost as busy as those other ports. Of course, its proximity to Rimmen played some part in that. That easternmost kingdom of Elsweyr still viewed Water's Edge as the most convenient path for trade with the Empire and beyond.

Outside of the eight regional cities of Cyrodiil, Water's Edge had become the only other place to host a permanent Fighters Guild office. It wasn't really a proper guildhall, like in other places. It was more of a makeshift arrangement for the three or four Guild Fighters tasked with operating from there. After all, Water's Edge was still within the boundaries and authority of County Leyawiin.

Forester continued. "Fortunately, those fires didn't actually cross the Niben or reach any further north than the Panther River. Still, we'd heard that the southern tip of the Valus Mountains remained aglow for several days and nights before it burned out."

Monika released a breathy sigh. "If something like that went through The Great Forest…" She didn't need to say any more. It was a sobering notion.

Forester cleared his throat. "Yes well, that would be a matter of terrible concern."

It didn't require a great deal of imagination to conceive of the potential devastation that might result from a wildfire raging across such a vast tract of forest. There were no notable waterways running through that area and the roads were hardly broad enough to adequately serve as sufficient barriers.

Though the larger cities might escape unscathed, there were a great many farms and smaller settlements that might not fare so well in such circumstances. Townships like Aleswell and Hackdirt would be especially vulnerable. Forester's father and his brother's family lived at Brindle Home, along The Hackdirt Road. That small farming community was surrounded by some of the thickest woodlands of the western part of the forest.

Even with all the resources of the Imperial Legion and all the battlemages of the Synod, a major wildfire raging through The Great Forest of Cyrodiil would most likely prove impossible to contain.

Forester again shifted the topic of conversation. "Tell me, how have those new recruits to Chorrol's guildhall worked out?"

Monika finished the last drop from her mug. "Yeah, I think they're gonna turn out to be okay. It's still early days, but both of them seem like they'll work out."

She'd spoken of those new recruits a couple of months before when they hadn't been with the Guild for all that long. One of them had previously served as a guard with the Chorrol City Watch. The other was a Nord from the Whiterun region.

Forester nodded. "Very good. I expect that Karl gro-Baroth is rather pleased to have some fresh members at the Chorrol guildhall?"

"Yeah. Should make a difference." Monika affirmed.

Rena stifled a yawn. "What about Loran. He went to Bravil, didn't he?"

Monika sneered at the mention of Janus Loran. "Yeah. I still don't trust him, but Karl's the boss. What he says, goes."

Monika had also spoken of that the last time they were together. Karl had ridden Loran fairly hard after learning those details of his unspoken past. It had only came out during the time of that goblin culling.

During his time serving with the Legion, Loran had been tasked as an informant for the Penitus Oculatus. He later claimed that had been one of the main reasons that he'd left the Legion behind. Explaining himself, he'd revealed that after he'd joined the Fighters Guild, he'd come under pressure to do the same thing, but refused to do it.

Apparently, though he was thoroughly pissed off over how he learned of it all, Karl was more prepared to take Loran at his word than Monika had been. More of his ire was actually directed elsewhere.

In his capacity as Master of the Fighters Guild, Karl had some serious words with Emperor Mede over the activities of the Penitus Oculatus. He'd demanded that the Emperor direct his senior Inspectors to desist from any further attempt to compromise the independence of Fighters Guild operations. According to Karl, the Emperor agreed easily enough, but the Guild Master still wasn't so sure that the spectres could be trusted.

Alex broke the silence of the lengthy pause. "Karl says that Bravil still needs more people. He says that they still have only four active Guild Fighters."

Forester indicated his agreement. "Yes, I imagine that they could probably do with another one or two down there."

Monika added something else. "Karl's managed to get some cooperation outa Leyawiin's new Guild Head. He got Plotius to send one of his people to Water's Edge. They still got plenty of people down there. More than Chorrol."

With a thoughtful look on his face, Forester added something. "Yes, as I understand it, Leyawiin does have an abundance of Guild Fighters. Still, it seems that the new head of that guildhall must be more gracious than his predecessor."

With a wide-eyed expression, Ras'Dar chimed in. "Fighters Guild has enough in Skingrad, yes?"

Forester responded evenly. "Yes, I should think so. Though I do imagine that we might have need of a new Guild Porter some time soon."

Rena stifled another yawn. "Fadus has gotta be nearly eighty."

Forester agreed. "Yes, I believe so. He's the only one of us old enough to recall the events of the Oblivion Crisis first hand."

Contemplating her empty mug, Rena avoided making comment of the circumstances of Kvatch. The Guildhead at Kvatch, along with her second and her porter were all of a similar vintage. Though since they were Altmer and Bosmer, none of them seemed nearly as old as Fadus Calidius. Rena's departure from that guildhall was a contributing factor toward the shortage of Guild members over there. Still, she just couldn't stand being made to deal with those fanatical Vigilants of Stendarr based at that city.

Forester patted the table with his hands, then shifted the topic of discussion once again, leaning toward lighter matters. "So then, I imagine that the Emperor's Day festivities should be something of a spectacle tomorrow."

Alex sounded enthusiastic. "Nerussa says something like that. She has heard that it is meant to be very special this year."

Forester agreed. "Yes, I should expect so. Fifty years since Martin Septim brought the Oblivion Crisis to conclusion. As I understand it, over the past few decades, Emperor Mede has directed a great deal of his efforts toward rebuilding what has gone before. The legacy of the Septim dynasty, if you will. Of course, honouring that legacy with the festival is sure to reflect well with the people of the Empire."

Everyone present agreed easily enough with Forester's comments. The conversation continued with some further talk of what they expected to be seeing in the Imperial City during the next day. Both Alex and Ras'Dar seemed equally enthusiastic. Forester and Monika appeared rather more matter-of-fact, though in a fairly positive fashion.

During that discussion, Rena started to look like she was just about ready to drift off to sleep at the table. It took a few moments for Forester to notice that she wasn't just resting her eyes.

Even though it was not yet quite so late, they soon agreed that it was time to call it a night. After all, they were planning on getting up early the next morning, with the likelihood of a long day in the city.

Soon enough, Ras'Dar was heading off to his rented room near the bathrooms. After taking turns for quick visits to those bathrooms, all the others made their way upstairs. Forester and Rena were staying in the room right next Monika and Alex. That was the one with the portrait of Titus Mede hanging upon the wall.

Even with the subdued noise still emanating from the tavern, it was a fair call that some would be falling asleep with little trouble at all.

~O~


	5. Chapter 5

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 5

Sundas the 30th of Frostfall 4E50 Morning

Both Monika and Alex were up and about fairly early that morning. It hadn't been before the dawn, but early enough. It was fairly normal for Alex to stir as soon as the first light came in through the window, or not long afterward. Of course, Monika would generally be up quite early if there were actual work or some other pressing concern to be attended. Whenever there was no such matter on the table for the day, she'd be more likely to sleep-in however long she felt like. That would commonly be much longer than Alex found comfortable, provoking him to rise as softly as possible and remain quiet for a while. However, that morning Monika had stirred almost as soon as she sensed Alex's absence from the bed and risen just as early.

After attending to any immediate concerns, they were soon dressed and ready to set off. Having no need for armour or weapons that day, all of that gear could remain safely locked in their room at the Wawnett. With just coin-purse and papers, they were good to go.

Hearing no response at the door to the next room, it was fair to assume that Forester and Rena were also up and had already made their way downstairs.

Once they were down the steps and moving into the tavern area, that assumption was confirmed. Forester and Rena were seated at the table nearest to the main counter, though Ras'Dar's whereabouts were not immediately obvious. The place was otherwise empty. Even Belwen was seemingly absent.

Rena Maplewood was dressed plainly, wearing a simple shirt and trousers, much like what Monika and Alex wore. However, Forester was wearing his mithril armour.

Abbreviated morning greetings were exchanged of the kind that often passed between friends. Rena had noted Monika's subtle expression as she glanced at Forester.

Rolling her eyes, the Colovian woman pointed to her husband with her mug. "At least he's agreed to leave the helmet and blades behind."

Forester raised his eyebrows in protest, but offered no verbal argument.

It was no secret among them that he was almost obsessively attached to wearing his mithril armour nearly everywhere that he went. They'd heard all of his reasons before. Of the light weight and comfort of the ensemble, along with various other things. Without doubt, it was more likely the case that he preferred to be seen as someone who could afford the expense of something like that. He also liked to be recognised as someone who must surely be a mage of some sort, since such mithril armour of that kind was commonly favoured by some battlemages.

"Ras'Dar?" Alex framed the Khajiit's name as a question.

Rena responded with a nod in the proper direction. "Belwen's taken him down to the lockup in the basement. I talked him into leaving his helmet and weapons here."

"But not his armour." Monika's guess was an educated one.

Rena confirmed. "No. You know how he's been. Ever since he got enough coin to get that custom forged armour. I reckon he might be sleeping in it." She only barely managed to maintain a serious expression, though she was clearly joking.

Monika looked to the empty plates and three steaming mugs at the table. "What's that?"

Rena responded first. "Cinnamon tea."

Forester added further comment. "Belwen has a pot over the hearth. There are also some reasonable sweet breads that she says Olivia brought in just two days past."

Monika wrinkled her nose. "Sounds okay, I s'pose."

At just that moment, Belwen and Ras'Dar had climbed back up from the basement and returned to the service counter area.

Just as Rena had suggested, the Suthay Khajiit was still wearing his well-polished armour. Only the helmet was absent. Despite the apparent weight of the ensemble, he always seemed to stand just a little taller when he wore it.

That custom fitted armour had cost Ras'Dar quite a few Septims, but it seemed that he'd managed to get exactly what he wanted. The upper portions of the armour followed common convention, with sections of steel plate over leather. However, the lower parts were crafted to allow free movement of his tail and the boots were specially shaped to properly accommodate his feline shaped feet.

The Khajiit offered a morning greeting on his way back to the table.

As Belwen returned to the counter, Alex looked to Monika. "Tea and sweet bread?"

"Yeah, alright then." Monika accepted the suggestion.

Alex headed over to see Belwen as Monika took a seat at the table.

With Ras'Dar's enthusiastic impatience clearly on show, Monika and Alex felt encouraged to rush a little with their morning meals. Soon enough, everyone had finished up with their repasts. After returning mugs and plates to Belwen at the service counter and quick last minute visits to the bathrooms, they were ready to go.

* * *

The five Guild Fighters stepped out onto the street running up the middle of the main part of Weye to be met by a pleasantly sunny morning. The stabling facilities across the road were completely absent of horses. Evidently, those drunkards from the previous evening had already gone on their way some time earlier, perhaps even during the hours of darkness. Those other two travellers at the inn must have headed off fairly early as well.

A couple of loaded wagons were just coming up over the rise from the south on the way toward the village. Much further out, there were also some riders on horseback headed inbound. They didn't appear to be Legion soldiers.

There was just a subtle hint of a chill in the air, the last remnant of what spoke of a cold evening. The warming rays of the morning sun were already displacing the last of that. The gusty winds of the previous afternoon and evening had completed subsided. In fact, there was hardly any movement of air. Barely enough to even qualify as a mild breeze.

They had taken only a few steps along the road before Rena commented upon that circumstance. "Real glad that strong wind's gone."

Forester responded. "The fours winds are nothing, if not perfectly changeable."

Rena returned a frowning sideways glance. Though she didn't actually speak, her expression of condescension conveyed enough of what she was thinking.

Forester cleared his throat. "Well, that's just something that I read somewhere."

Rena shook her head with a little smirk, returning her gaze toward their destination.

Avoiding a dollop of fresh horse shit, Forester suddenly paused in his stride, looking more closely at the ground. "Have they done something with the stones along the road just here?"

Alex looked to Forester. "I only just noticed that same thing yesterday. I am fairly certain that it has only been done in the past couple of weeks."

Forester turned about to look back behind, noticing that only the road up to the inn seemed to have been worked upon.

Rena's tone carried a touch of irony. "Hmph. So only done just in time for the festival, by the looks of it."

Monika spoke in a similar tone. "Yeah well, that's our taxes at work. Or at least, another visible sign of it. That and all the Legion activity right now."

Though her comments sounded somewhat sarcastic, Monika knew full well that without taxes, the Imperial Legion would cease to operate. In all likelihood, the Legion had probably been tasked with the repairs to the road they were walking upon. She also knew that some portion of Fighters Guild activities were effectively funded from Imperial taxes.

Responding to Ras'Dar's enthusiastic desire to get across the waters to the city upon the Imperial Isle, they continued onward, heading off down the gentle slope toward the bridge.

That stone bridge that crossed over Lake Rumare appeared huge by the measure of most others of the land. It could easily accommodate two wagons abreast with some room to spare at the side. Up close, the tall support towers of the bridge seemed even higher than the walls of the Imperial City. In fact, those support towers probably were taller. It was only the elevation of the city upon the top of the Imperial Isle that set all of that higher above the surrounding land.

That morning, there was no sign of Flaenia at her stall, nor any sign of her husband or any of the other fishermen. It was fair to assume that they were all taking the day off and had most likely headed into the city for the festival.

Just as the Guild Fighters neared the western end of the bridge, that wagon that had been coming along from behind passed them by. It was loaded up with several crates and barrels. The passengers sitting atop the load looked to be a family of farmers or the like.

A moment later, a second wagon veered too close, forcing Forester to step aside in an urgent fashion. Each of the others of the group had already moved off to the outer edge of the road. Evidently, Forester had either been just a bit slow to react or else he'd forgotten about that second wagon.

The wagon driver slowed his horse to a crawl after the near miss. "Sorry friend, this old horse ain't so good at keeping to a straight line."

Clearing his throat, Forester regained his composure. "No harm. I stand reminded to keep a better eye out along the road."

"My apologies, just the same." The wagon driver was an Imperial man of weathered appearance. He looked like a farmer. The other adults and children on the wagon also appeared to be from farming stock. Though it looked like more than just one family.

Walking alongside the wagon, Forester inclined his head, indicating his acceptance of the man's apology. "So then, on your way to the city for the festival?"

The farmer nodded his head. "We've come up from the village of Ione. Picked up another family from Pell's Gate along the way."

"You must have set off rather early."

"That we did. During the wee hours. That wagon ahead of us came from Faregyl and some riders passed us earlier that said they come all the way from Leyawiin."

"Really? That's quite a ride."

"That it is. Well righty then, you have yourselves a good day." The wagon slowly pulled ahead. It looked like the driver had to fight the old horse to keep it from running the wagon too near to the edge of the path.

Alex voiced an observation. "It sounds like people are coming from all over."

"Sounds like." Monika agreed.

Several paces ahead of the other four of the group, Ras'Dar paused just a moment, allowing the rest of them a chance to catch up. Though his legs were much shorter than those of his companions, he hadn't let that slow him down at all.

Crossing over the big stone bridge, the Legion encampments on the north-western end of the island came into view. There wasn't much sign of activity over there that morning. It was fair to assume that most of them were out and about on duty or something like that.

Looking off across the waters toward the south, two Imperial Naval vessels could be seen on the lake, moored just a short distance from the entryway to the ports of the Waterfront District. Though they couldn't clearly see from there, the other tall masts in view indicated that there had to be a few merchant vessels docked portside.

Once across the broad bridge, the road climbed the ascent toward the city walls. It was quite steep, but only a relatively short distance. A few lesser paths led away from the main road off to the north and south.

In the morning shadow of the walls, to the left of the road there was a small wooden house beside a sizeable stabling facility. As was often the case, that old man sat upon a seat on the porch at the front of the house. He was already puffing away on his pipe as he watched everything passing by.

It was notably less usual to see those stables and yards quite so busy. A number of stable workers toiled over the horses. The proper stables were bursting to capacity along with all the yards and holding pens. Several horses were tied to the rails, posts or trees surrounding the stabling facilities.

Since horses and other live animals were not normally permitted within the city walls, it wasn't so unusual to see those stables doing brisk trade. However, that great volume of activity seemed somewhat unprecedented.

There was even more of that over to the right-hand side of the main road, where that lesser roadway led around the outer city walls down to the Waterfront District of the Imperial City. Both sides of that pathway were lined with wagons and carts and a number of horses that had been left to tend to themselves for the day.

Just near that cluttered roadside, a couple of Legion soldiers stood by a tree watching over the area. Another two wandered a bit further along that path. There might have been more of them out of view over the hillside. Presumably, their task was to keep an eye out for opportunistic thieves or other trouble.

Nearing the main city gates, the Guild Fighters found themselves standing at the back of a small crowd of common farmer folk and their children. The guards at the gates were evidently putting in a bit more effort to check on the people coming into the city that day.

Those few people immediately ahead of them moved through quickly enough after the guards briefly looked them over and waved them through.

Because both Forester and Ras'Dar were wearing armour, they drew more attention than those farmer folk that just passed through or even their more plainly dressed comrades by their side.

Approaching the guard standing on the right with the raised eyebrows, Forester cleared his throat and withdrew his papers, preparing to display them.

"Here for the festival?" The guard spoke first. He sounded and looked like a fellow Colovian from the western parts of Cyrodiil.

Forester responded in an amiable manner. "Why yes, of course. It certainly looks to be a perfect day for it."

The guard hadn't quite looked at the papers properly. Instead, he looked to Forester with narrowed eyes. "You're that Fighters Guild fellow from Skingrad?"

Forester blinked with a mildly surprised look. "That's right. Forester, of the Skingrad Fighters Guild."

The guarded nodded. "Thought I recognised you. These people are with you?"

"That's right. We're all Fighters Guild." Forester affected an earnest expression.

The guard quickly looked over those others of the group with only passing interest, though he did give Ras'Dar a second look. The other guard had been closely watching the Khajiit the whole time.

The guard that Forester had been speaking with waved his hand in a dismissive manner, indicating that he didn't need to see everyone's papers. "Righto then, I'd say you're all good. You have a good day at the festival."

Forester returned a friendly nod. "My thanks to you. I'm sure we will."

They headed on through the gates to the Talos Plaza District of the city.

* * *

Just inside the gates of the Imperial City, it became immediately obvious that getting where they wanted to go wasn't going to be such a simple matter. A sluggish stream of people looked to be filtering down those thoroughfares off to both the left and right; those streets that ran by the curved outer walls of the city. However, they actually wanted to go straight ahead, through the plaza toward the central district and the movement in that direction seemed to be more than just a little obstructed.

After a bit of a struggle, the five Guild Fighters managed to climb the short run of steps beneath the archway at the edge of Talos Plaza.

"By the Divines." Forester sounded suitably astonished.

Rena responded in a similar tone. "Yeah. Don't think I've ever seen this place so crowded before."

At a glance, the crowded central plaza appeared densely populated by a broad mix of people from just about every race of Tamriel. Many of them were Imperials, Nords or Bretons of generally similar outward appearance, though from a wide range of walks of life. There were also a few dark-skinned Redguard to be seen.

Making up a slightly smaller portion of the crowd, there were several representatives of the elven races. Here and there, a few Altmer stood a little taller than those in their immediate vicinity. The occasional Bosmer could also be seen in the crowded plaza. With their darker gray-skinned complexions and blood-red eyes, the Dunmer tended to stand out among other faces.

A trio of Orsimer pushed their way through the crowd with angry expressions. The sight of three large Orcs in a bad mood was enough to encourage most to step aside and let them pass without unnecessary obstruction, as much as such a thing was possible on that day.

Though notably fewer in number than some other races, there were also some reptilian Argonians and some typical looking Suthay-raht and Cathay Khajiit in the crowd.

At the doorway to the Tiber Septim Hotel, a Legion soldier appeared to be mediating a heated argument between a particularly well-dressed Dunmer gentleman and an Imperial woman wearing an unusual headdress with large flowers. It may have been the case that the Dunmer was being ejected from the establishment and was not well inclined to be cooperative in the matter.

Ras'Dar had been looking about the mass of people with some concern. "This one thinks crowded plaza is very much to the liking of clever thieves. Even not so clever ones."

Monika responded. "Yeah well, just keep your coin-purse out of sight and it oughta be fine." She'd already made sure that the gold she carried was safely hidden from view.

Alex made a point of quickly checking on his coin-purse, still tucked inside his shirt.

With Forester in the lead, the other Guild Fighters followed along behind in single file as he tried to pick his way through the crowded plaza. Making their way around the central feature where the large dragon statue stood, a pair of rugged looking Nord men sporting partially grown beards were having a noisy disagreement.

The larger man's face appeared flushed with anger as waved his hand up at the statue. "That's why it's called the Talos Plaza, ain't it?"

"It's meant ta be Akatosh," The other man insisted.

"I say it's Talos, in dragon form."

"That's cos yer an eejit."

That was an argument that Forester had heard a number of times before. One that he held no desire to be drawn into. He tried to avoid making eye contact with either of those argumentative Nords, as he kept moving around the central feature toward the other side of the circular plaza.

About some of the outer edges of that central plaza area, there appeared to be some preachers and prophets and the like. That seemed a bit unusual. They didn't normally gather to preach in the Talos Plaza District. They were generally far more likely to be seen about the Temple District or the Arboretum, or sometimes even about the marketplace. It may have been the case that those other areas were already bursting with that kind of thing. It might also have been the case that they'd been purposefully kept out of the central district for the duration of the festivities.

Across the plaza, a man stood upon a small crate on the corner outside an abode that clearly belonged to a wealthy noble. Before even hearing his words, it seemed obvious enough that the tall balding Nord in the dark robes belonged to the Vigil of Stendarr. His loud proclamations only served to fully reinforce that presumption.

"The mercy of Stendarr does not extend to Daedra worshippers. For all Daedra are abominations, not of the Divines." He waved his hands up toward the skies, then lowered them again, shaking his head. "No, the Daedra are profane creatures all, with no hope of any redemption. From the darkest of Daedric Princes to the lowliest imp, abominations all. They seek only to lure innocents to their deaths and forever corrupt the mortal souls of all that they touch. Tempting the foolish with their heretical artefacts and granting dark powers to men and mer, that they might wreak terrible havoc across Tamriel. Laying waste to the great cities of our lands…" He paused to shake his head once more and again raised his hands up toward the heavens. "Only through the observation of the justice and mercy of Stendarr, can we hope to stand against such things."

Rena mumbled to herself, but loud enough to be heard by her husband. "I really wish Stendarr would be more merciful… and send some of those idiots to go worship Julianos for a bit." Of course, her meaning was obvious enough. The Divine Julianos was their god of wisdom and logic. By her reckoning, those Vigilants could all do with a healthy dose of that.

Once they'd managed to shuffle through the crowd and along that street toward the eastern side the Talos Plaza District, it seemed evident that they wouldn't be able to get through to where they wanted to go.

At the top of the stone steps, guards barred the way through the closed gates to the central district. A banner had been stretched across the top of the wooden gates. The signage clearly reinforced the meaning, stating 'NO ACCESS' to the Green Emperor way via that gate, 'USE OTHER GATES'. Arrows on either side of those words pointed in opposite directions, redirecting people toward either the Temple District or the Elven Gardens District.

Unable to proceed any further, Forester turned about, looking to the others and evidently ready to explain the obvious circumstance.

Monika spoke up first. "That's bloody annoying."

Forester looked toward the southern pathway. That narrow street ran alongside the artificial waterway at the base of tall stone walls and behind some of the large buildings of that part of the district.

Rena shook her head with a sour expression. "Not the Temple District. How about the other way?" She was probably thinking about the strong likelihood of encountering more of those street preachers in that district.

Forester looked toward the narrow street in the other direction. It was already heavily congested with people backing up from the sheer volume of so much foot traffic. He gestured with his hand, signalling that they should try to go back the way that they came.

Monika rolled her eyes, but seemed to agree with his assessment. She took both Alex and Ras'Dar by the shoulders, turning them about and then tried to lead the way.

With some difficulty, they managed to push their way back through the crowded side street toward the central plaza. They filed their way back past that noisy Vigilant of Stendarr and then onto the main street headed northward to the Elven Gardens District.

That broad thoroughfare was somewhat less crowded than the central plaza or those areas surrounding the blocked off gateway to the central district. The general tide of bodies was already flowing in a northerly direction, so that made things a little easier. There were still a few more obstacles in the form of more of those street preachers and the like. Thankfully, few people considered stopping and blocking the way to listen to them. Nevertheless, they were difficult to ignore.

Along one side of the street, a ragged-looking Argonian in tattered robes stood by an alcove along the stone wall. His colouring was a faded and mottled brown and it seemed like some of the bony crests upon his head had been broken. He looked to be touting something rather different from that noisy Vigilant of Stendarr back near the plaza, though it wasn't immediately clear exactly what it might be about. "...and what future… what future, if the Dwarvenborn were returned to our world? It is known... it is known that they would bring unholy machinations of metal, of belching gases and strange devices emanating unnatural magics. Whose gods… and whose kings… would stand to protect us all from such Dwarvenborn? Ponder upon that..."

Across the other side of the street, an Ohmes-Raht Khajiit with short light-brown coloured fur preached something else to the passers by. "...a time of great and terrible chaos. It has been foreseen and foretold that such a time will come. A time when the sacred moons will mysteriously vanish from the heavens. Think of what troubles will follow. Not only for Khajiit of Elsweyr, but Khajiit of everywhere... and not only Khajiit. Such a thing will bring great trouble to all. Great trouble upon all the lands..."

Standing just near the last corner before the end of the street, an old bind man, possibly of Breton descent, preached his words to anyone who might be listening. "Ancient scrolls have provided warning. Time will tell, time will tell. Akatosh is indeed the mightiest of all the Nine Divines. It has always been so... and always shall be so. Still, there have been those in times long past that sought to emulate his power. In times long gone, unholy creatures mocked his very form. Not noble kings and emperors in service of the Divines, but winged beasts soaring in the skies above. Not those Daedric abominations or other winged creatures which plagued our lands during recent eras. Afore that, the oldest of them all were those dragons of proper dragon form. Wielding great magicks indeed, but proclaiming themselves as gods. False gods. Not of the Divine Akatosh. A time looms near. A time when the authority of Divine Akatosh will be challenged by the return of false gods and dragons... the very fate of our world and all of time hanging in the balance. Only the Divine Akatosh stands to hold the line against such mockery..."

Both Forester and Rena seemed interested only in finding clear passage to their intended destination. It also seemed that on that particular day, Rena's distaste for the Vigilants of Stendarr might have been extended to include pretty much anything of that nature. She wasn't interested in what anyone might be preaching or prophesising.

It was much the same with Ras'Dar. He'd previously indicated his great enthusiasm for seeing the performers, musicians and other spectacles of the festival. It also seemed clear enough that he didn't consider the words of priests, prophets or madmen fell into quite the same category. They were merely obstacles keeping him from reaching the central district.

Though she kept moving, Monika had noticed that some of what that old blind man was saying caught Alex's ear. Of course, she had some idea of what it might be. That talk of ancient dragons and of a 'return of false gods and dragons' would have drawn his attention.

Though they'd most likely never know for certain, it seemed possible that Alex's grandfather might have been descended from a bloodline of one of those dragon priests of ancient times. That had been the best explanation that they could uncover for that inherited 'dragon-tongue' ability that Alex possessed.

Alex only really knew what grandfather Erik had told him before he had died and that was not so much at all. In any event, that inherent skill was really something of only dubious usefulness. Only of value as a 'last-resort' of sorts, since it left him incapacitated for a time.

Monika recalled what Alex had told her of his encounter with that Daedric Prince when they were in Sentinel. Malacath had told him that he was 'not quite right'. He said that he had something of the 'dragon on him', but that it was 'all wrong'.

Either way, Alex had been perfectly happy to leave all of that alone for the time being and just accept things for what they were. Added to that, it was certainly not something that they would speak about with strangers on the street.

Since the gates to the Elven Gardens District were wide open, the mass of people ahead appeared to be moving along at an improved pace. Soon enough, the five Guild Fighters were leaving the crowded Talos Plaza District behind and passing through those gates into the next district of the city.

~O~


	6. Chapter 6

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 6

Sundas the 30th of Frostfall 4E50 Morning

Once the five Guild Fighters had passed through those open gates into the Elven Gardens District, the movement along the street became a far less arduous task. There were still quite a few people ahead of them, but it hardly seemed nearly as crowded as what they'd just left behind them. Added to that, everybody seemed to be actually going somewhere with intent. Rather than all that confused congestion in the Talos Plaza District. That blocked off gateway had been causing the crowds to back up and redirect in unplanned directions. It really had been quite a messy situation.

Looking directly ahead, there were no signs of more of those street preachers and prophets immediately in view. Not they usually gathered in that place anyway, but any specific reason for their not spilling over into the next district remained somewhat less obvious.

The absence of any street beggars in the Elven Gardens District was nothing really out of the ordinary. Unless passing through on the way to the Market District, beggars didn't generally pass much time on the streets of the Elven Gardens District. Undoubtedly, there had probably been a few of them about the Talos Plaza District, but they must have been difficult to spot in that overcrowded space.

Passing beyond the open gateway, the shuffling mass of bodies leaving the Talos Plaza District mostly dispersed in two directions. Some portion veered off to the right, moving along the side street toward that path by the inner city wall and the nearest gateway to the central district. Most of the people were moving straight ahead along the broad street curving up the middle of the district.

It seemed likely that many of those people were still headed for the central district of the city. Some might also have been making their way for the Arena District, by way of the Market District. In any case, it was fair to assume that everyone would be merely passing through the Elven Gardens District on the way to somewhere else, since it was primarily a residential district.

In a similar manner to Alex, when Ras'Dar first came to that city, he had wondered why the Elven Gardens District of the Imperial City was named like that. Especially since he saw no gardens to speak of and not so many elven people about on those streets. At least, no more than any other place.

At first glance, much of the Elven Gardens District didn't appear dramatically different from the Talos Plaza District. The layout and general appearance of the paved streets was much the same, with those same lampposts standing at intervals along the curved pathways.

There were no expansive gardens like over in the Arboretum District or even the open spaces of the Arena District or Green Emperor Way. At most, there were just a few small patches of greenery at the back of the some of the buildings.

Even the outward appearance of the stone buildings of that district was nothing especially different. It was only upon closer inspection that it seemed a slightly less wealthy area than the Talos Plaza District. There were a far greater number of doors in the large stone structures, indicating far more individual residences within the same sort of space. Also, many of those doors appeared rather more mundane, with the exception of just a few.

The Elven Gardens District housed no more elven families than other places. The name was something that harkened back to much earlier times. If anything, it might be noted that more than half the residences were homes to families with notably Nibenese sounding names like Decanius, Favonius or Sintav. Of course, there were families of other races in that district. It was only more the case that more of them were Imperial and even then, perhaps more of them were of Nibenese heritage than Colovian.

Near the middle of that district, that main street appeared differently laid out from that of the Talos Plaza District. At the apex of the curve, instead of a plaza with a central statue, there was an open square at the central crossroads. It was only moderately crowded with all the people passing through that central area. On that day, no one was really stopping to just stand around to talk.

The only two places of commerce of that district were located upon street corners at that central crossroads. Neither of them attracted much passing trade that day.

On one corner was the King and Queen Tavern. It looked like a somewhat up-market tavern and inn from the outside, but it was more the case that it generally served a clientele of more modest means. It was by no means a shabby establishment, but nor was it anything like the Tiber Septim Hotel on the plaza.

Upon the adjacent corner was the Elven Gardens Boarding House. The signage also marked it as both a tavern and another inn. However from outward appearances, that place seemed rather less special than its counterpart. Not that it appeared particularly squalid. Only that it made no attempt to overstate itself.

Presumably, both of those places would have been filled to capacity during the previous evening, but the Emperor's Day festivities would have probably rendered them deserted as everybody headed off elsewhere for the day.

A mild breeze blew along the broad curved thoroughfare running the length of that district. The stone walls surrounding the city were tall, but not so impenetrable that they could keep all winds from circulating. Nevertheless, it was a fair assumption that a little breeze was the most that the weather would be offering that day. Looking upward, just a few fluffy white clouds could be seen sailing across the blue skies overhead.

As the five Guild Fighters slowly moved along that main thoroughfare through the middle of the Elven Gardens District, they had become slightly spaced apart. Eager to arrive at their destination, Ras'Dar kept shifting ahead of the rest of his comrades. Forester and Rena kept together just a short distance from the enthusiastic Khajiit. Alex and Monika remained side-by-side just a few paces further behind.

Without breaking stride, they were about halfway to the central crossroads when Monika grumbled to herself in an unintelligible manner.

Alex looked to her with a questioning expression. "Is something wrong?"

She released a little sigh. "Just realised, I forgot to bring those letters. To send off to my mother."

Alex opened his mouth briefly, but chose not to say anything.

Monika settled the matter. "Not gonna worry about it. Woulda been too much trouble today anyway… and I can always do it tomorrow."

Alex returned a silent nod.

Before the Guild Fighters neared the corner by the King and Queen Tavern, a line of impatient small boys pushed their way through the gaps in the slower moving procession. They were obviously in a great hurry to get to where they were headed. The central district of the city, from the look of it.

Just one of those boys looked immediately different from the others; his darker skin marked him as Redguard. At a glance, the other five might have been Imperial, Nord, Breton, or some mix of those kinds. None of them looked to be older than ten years old, at the most.

One of the fair-skinned boys had been shouting out something to the others about knives and fire, insisting that he meant 'real knives and real fire' and 'not just magic or even fake magic'. Presumably, he must have been talking about something to do with the festival performers of the Green Emperor Way.

From the crossroads at the middle of that district, the people ahead were effectively splitting off in two directions. Of course, the Market District was directly ahead. The road off to the right led toward the nearest gateway into the central district.

Rena spoke up. "No one's interested in heading for the arena?" Her tone indicated that she was only really seeking confirmation.

Ras'Dar had already started moving off to the right. Having heard Rena's question, he paused and looked back toward the others.

Forester cleared his throat. "Well, unless anyone has any special desire to see the Emperor today, I have no great interest in observing what the arena has to offer."

The expressions returned by both Monika and Alex seemed to indicate their general agreement with the last part of his comment. They held no interest in that either.

As active members of the Fighters Guild they saw more than enough first-hand action. Watching arena fighters performing for the entertainment of spectators and gamblers held little appeal for them.

Responding to Ras'Dar's look of building expectation, Rena shrugged and they all continued onward along the side street leading toward the central district.

Only a short distance from those steps leading up to the open gateway, the staggered flow of movement was further disrupted by someone coming along from the opposite direction. A city guard was manhandling an old Breton with a balding crown, dress in dark robes. The older man provided only a token level of resistance, in the manner of dragging his feet a little and not moving along quite as fast as the guard wanted.

Responding to the subdued grumbling from the old Breton, the guard nudged him forward a little more roughly. "Keep moving. You were told, no preaching on the Green Emperor Way today."

"The mercy of Stendarr…"

The guard cut him off. "Keep it up and you'll be preaching in the lock-up."

The old Breton returned an indignant expression, but held his tongue.

None of the Guild Fighters passed any comment. The circumstance merely served to confirm what some of them had already been thinking.

The noise of rowdy children came from just near those stone steps that led up to the gateway. The children were on the left-hand side of those steps, down by that narrow waterway that ran along the outer edge of the tall walls separating the inner district from the outer ones.

Most of children were lined up just at the water's edge or sitting upon the low stone wall separating the paved path from the waterway. A couple of dark-haired lads were standing upon the stepped ledges in water up to their knees. The water appeared observably dirtier than usual, as though the silt along the bottom had been stirred up.

Alex had been casting an eye in that direction with a frown. He thought that the waterway was part the system that fed into the cisterns below and that nobody was meant be splashing about in those narrow canals. However, the nearby city guards didn't seem to care.

As Alex was slowly climbing the stone steps, an Argonian child emerged from the surface of the slightly murky water with lily pads clinging to his head and shoulders.

One of other children standing above the waterway shouted out. "Didja find it?"

The Argonian child shook the muck away, insisting that 'it' wasn't there to be found.

It made sense that the Argonian child was the one to be searching for something in the murky water, since their race could effectively breathe underwater. It was less obvious what they might have been looking for in the water.

At the top of the steps, city guards stood at either side of the open gates in the tall stone wall. They appeared to be keeping a watchful eye over those that passed by, but they were not actually stopping anyone or challenging free passage.

One of the city guards affected a concerned frown as he noticed an armoured Khajiit approaching. Forester shuffled ahead to stand at Ras'Dar's side. The guard's brow furrowed a little further as he studied the two armoured individuals.

Forester spoke up first. "Good day to you. We're Fighters Guild. Though we have left our usual weapons behind today."

The city guard opened his mouth, but said nothing, merely returning a curt nod that conveyed his acceptance of the explanation. He payed no obvious attention to any of the others of the group.

Beyond the gateway, the general din of those crowds ahead seemed notably louder than what came from behind. An odd dissonance of competing musicians could be heard coming from somewhere off in the distance.

Forward movement was still somewhat inhibited by the sluggish progress of those ahead of them as the Guild Fighters shuffled past the guards and through the gateway into the central district of the Imperial City.

* * *

Just inside the walls of the Green Emperor Way, there was nowhere to easily stop without blocking the movement of those behind. The five Guild Fighters shuffled forward and down the stone steps to the ground level of the space ahead.

From the centre of the relatively open space, the Imperial Tower dominated the view, rising up into the sky above. The base of the structure, including the elevated walkway that ran the circumference of the tower, easily occupying at least half of the space of the central district.

Having reached the mark of around mid-morning, the shadow cast by the looming tower had swung about from the western side toward the north. As the sun arced toward its apex, that shadow had shortened considerably. By that time, the shade had retreated to reach only as far as the elevated stone walkway surrounding the tower.

The five Guild Fighters needed to move almost all the way along the paved path toward the central structure before they'd found a spot to step to one side and pause for a moment. They stood by the left-hand side of the steps that led up to the elevated walkway around the central tower. Turning about and looking back the way they had just come, they gained just some perspective of the crowded spaces and the source of the varied noises that echoed throughout the central district of the city.

From that position, barely one-sixth of the ground level area of the district could be seen and much of that space seemed to be occupied by people. Some were moving along one way or the other. Some seemed to be trying to remain in the space they occupied. The rows of old tombstones were barely visible amongst the sea of shifting bodies. Only the taller monuments and the like stood clearly above the crowded masses.

"By the Divines." Forester sounded suitably astonished.

Rena responded in a similar tone. "Yeah. Don't think I've ever seen this place so crowded before."

Monika seemed to agree with that. "No, not like this. Not recently, anyway."

Both Alex and Ras'Dar remained silent, looking about the crowded space.

Almost halfway between that gateway that they'd passed through and the closed Talos Plaza gates, a pair of musicians stood by the outer wall. One played a flute and the other, a long-necked lute. A small group of onlookers had gathered nearby. The spectators bobbed up and down in a dance of sorts. The noise of their clapping in time to the musician's tunes rang out, echoing from the stone walls.

Just a little nearer, there were two tall narrow tents standing by the wall, not quite so far from those musicians. There were more of those tents erected at irregular intervals along other sections of the outer wall of the district, wherever there were no headstones, monuments or the like. Presumably, those tents housed what passed for temporary outdoor bathroom facilities for the duration of the festivities.

A raucous cheer rang out from the opposite direction, drawing attention. Near the northernmost part of that section of the Green Emperor Way, there was a stone monument surrounded by a circular low stone wall. Stone columns rose from the low wall, supporting a framework of horizontal lintels above. Balancing upon the low stone wall, a Breton performer in a colourful outfit juggled flaming torches in a manner that clearly excited the onlookers. Several of those spectators were younger children. At a glance, it looked like they might have been those same children who ran through the Elven Gardens in an excitable hurry.

Another subdued roar rang out from just nearby. It seemed a muddled mix of excitement and disappointment. Until that moment, they hadn't noticed that group of people huddled beneath the shade of the tree across the other side of the paved path.

A few people walked away from the group, but several remained. After another moment, it became fairly obvious what it was all about.

In a thick accent, a Dunmer called out to those gathered about him beneath the shady tree. "Comon then, ya gotta play to win, so place yer calls. Drakes, crowns or splits."

They were obviously playing that game of chance with two Septims, though he was actually waving a wooden spatula about instead of a blade. Typically, two gold coins would be set upon the blade of a dagger, then flipped up into the air. As suggested by the call of 'drakes, crowns or splits', onlookers would bet upon the outcome of the toss. Whether the two coins landed with the profile of Tiber Septim facing upward, the Imperial dragon seal of Akatosh, or a mix of both would determine if the gamblers won or lost.

Unregulated gambling of such a kind, out on the main thoroughfares of the city like that, would normally have resulted in the city guards hauling them all off to the lockup. However, those rules were generally relaxed during the festival. At least for those 'softer' gambling games.

Since betting upon the coin-toss was typically limited to two Septims per round, it wasn't terribly frowned upon during the festivities. It wasn't anything like some of the high-stakes illegal gambling that was sometimes rumoured to take place in certain locations. Nevertheless, that Dunmer stood to collect a tidy sum for the day, if luck favoured him.

During a momentary lull in the noise emanating from the crowds, Ras'Dar spoke up as he was craning his neck to look about. "So many things to see, yes?"

Standing nearest to the Khajiit, Rena made a noise indicating her agreement with his suggestion, then looked to her husband. "So, where to first?"

Forester cleared his throat in a noisy manner. "Well, perhaps we might head up there." He indicated the elevated walkway immediately above where they stood.

Monika agreed. "Yeah, that oughta give us a better view of what's going on."

Alex looked up to where they indicated, but remained quiet. His expression reflected his agreeable position. Of course given his shorter stature, Ras'Dar held no argument with that suggestion either.

Accordingly, the five Guild Fighters shuffled their way back onto the paved path, then headed on up the stone steps to the walkway about the base of the Imperial Tower.

Situated not far from the top of those stairs, there were a few stalls selling food and drink to the passers by. A raucous group of men singing an old sailing song seemed to be enjoying the ale on offer from one of the vendors. Though very noisy, they seemed to be no more than cheerfully drunk. Of course, that circumstance could shift easily enough, but with all the city guards and other Legionnaires wandering about, any outbreak of trouble would be likely to be rather short-lived.

Responding to Forester's suggestion, the group of five made their way around the curved walkway toward the south. Just a short distance along, a Bosmer girl was standing to one side and handing out large printed broadsheets to anyone who accepted them.

Both Rena and Monika had taken the sheets and made brief examinations.

Rena commented first. "This thing lists out some of the main highlights of what's going on around here today."

Forester only glanced at it without comment, instead focussing upon watching where he was going as he negotiated the way ahead.

Rena mentioned something she was reading. "It says that there's a few things over in the Arena District as well, besides the Emperor hosting the games arena, I mean."

"Such as?" Forester prompted.

"Yeah ah, looks like it's ah… musicians and other performers, I think… from what this says." She sounded a bit vague.

Just up ahead on the left, there was a wooden platform set up by the wall just next the guarded entrance to the tower. Fixed to an overhead framework, a banner had been strung up with the Imperial dragon emblem. A framed portrait of Prince Attrebus was fixed to one the support posts.

As they neared that structure, Alex spoke up. "That must be where Treb will be making his address today."

Rena confirmed that assumption. "Yeah, looks like it, from what this says."

Monika added something. "Says here, that's not until a half-hour past midday."

Alex glanced to what she was reading. "I would like to hear what he has to say."

Forester nodded thoughtfully. "Yes well, that certainly sounds agreeable. The Crown Prince does tend to be more enthusiastic than his father."

Rena elbowed her husband. "Are you criticising the Emperor?"

Raising his eyebrows, Forester blinked and cleared his throat. "No, no. Not at all. I am merely noting that the Emperor's speeches tend to be more ah… well, somewhat terse… and perhaps somewhat less inspirational."

Ras'Dar's comment came out sounding like more of a question. "Crown Prince will one day be Emperor, yes?"

"Well, yes. One day." Forester confirmed the obvious.

Rena adjusted that confirmation. "Yeah, one day. But maybe not for a while yet."

Ras'Dar added something else. "It is said, even the Mane does not know when the time comes for the Mane to be reborn anew."

Though they said nothing, the others understood what he was talking about. The Khajiit of Elsweyr believed that after the death of a Mane, their cultural leader was reborn as another, during a specific alignment of the two moons.

As they passed by the guards at the doorway to the Imperial Tower, both of them had taken special note of Forester and Ras'Dar. It was most likely just because they were wearing their armour. Aside from the guards and Legionnaires, there were only a few other armoured individuals to be seen about the central district that day.

Walking just a few paces behind Forester and Rena, Alex overheard something from the guards behind him. He couldn't quite hear what the first guard had said, but he caught some of what the second one said in response. "…with the Khajiit. Out of the Skingrad guildhall, I think." It seemed that the guard recalled having seen Forester before and also remembered that he was Fighters Guild.

Making their way along the crowded walkway, they passed another pair of performers juggling a variety of objects. That performance involved tossing objects back and forth between the two of them and occasionally balancing something upon their heads without dropping anything in flight.

Moving around past the path leading to the Temple District, some more musicians could be heard and seen down on the green below. There also looked to be another circle of gamblers gathered by a shady tree near the mausoleum at the southern wall of the district.

Near the path leading to the Arboretum District, the movement slowed once again as they passed by some more stalls offering food and drink. The space about those stalls seemed even more crowded than the first one they passed.

Something slightly unusual came into view as they reached the point along the walkway directly opposite from where they had firstly entered the central district. It was down on the green, midway between the gateways to the Arboretum District and Arena District. The covered stone platform had evidently been dressed up for something special. Canvass and drapes had been strung up between the stone columns. Though nothing or no one actually occupied the staging area at that time, a crowd people seemed to be gathering in the vicinity.

Forester waved his hand in that general direction. "Is there any mention of what that might be about?"

Already curious of the same thing, Rena was scanning the printed broadsheet for detail. "Something called… 'The Kingdom of Frogs'. Doesn't say what it's about."

Monika added her observations. "No, doesn't. Seems to be a stage-play. Maybe funny." Her comments only stemmed from the symbols of the smiling theatre-masks printed next the title.

The comments caught Ras'Dar's interest. "Khajiit have many living tales of such a kind. It is only sad that Imperials do not often recognise what Khajiit find funny and clever."

Rena returned a tenuous grin, uncertain of whether the little Suthay had just tried to be insulting. She suspected otherwise. After all, it was actually quite reasonable to suggest that Imperials didn't quite understand the Khajiit or their sense of humour.

Forester furrowed his brow. "I can't say that I've ever heard of a stage-play by that name. I wonder if the title is a clever play on words or some such?"

Monika glanced to the sky, estimating the time against the schedule that she read on the broadsheet. "Whatever it is, it oughta be starting soon. Why don't we go find out?"

Alex looked back along the walkway toward where they had come from. "What about the Prince's address?"

Monika shrugged. "Oughta be plenty of time."

Rena confirmed that. "That 'Frog' thing should be finished before midday, according to what this says."

Forester weighed in more firmly. "Since we have the time, I say that we do go see what 'The Kingdom of Frogs' is all about. It might well be entertaining."

Both Rena and Monika had already made some indication in support of his suggestion.

With a casual nod, Alex returned an agreeable expression, indicating his assent with the majority of the group.

Throughout that exchange, Ras'Dar had been turning his head, with his eyes darting back and forth between each of his comrades. He seemed to be outwardly pleased that everyone had agreed to go see the play, though he actually held no better idea of what it might be about than any of the others.

With Forester in the lead, they made their way along the crowded walkway toward the nearest steps leading down onto the green.

Looking to her husband, Rena posed an idle question. "You don't think this thing's really gonna be about frogs?"

Forester returned a slightly perplexed expression. "Well, I couldn't say. I suspect that it's probably something… well, something different from that."

In a rather laconic tone, Monika weighed in. "We'll find out soon enough."

Alex had nothing to offer. He was more concerned about it being over and done well before Prince Attrebus took to that platform for his public address.

Without saying anything to others, the Khajiit was grinning to himself and hoping that it really would be a tale that portrayed an actual 'Kingdom of Frogs'.

~O~


	7. Chapter 7

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 7

Sundas the 30th of Frostfall 4E50 Midday

Ras'Dar was still grinning broadly as he chewed upon the pieces of roasted lamb mounted upon a stick. The fact that the meat had been basted in honey made it all the more appealing to the Suthay Khajiit. Though he found the flavour of the food rather pleasing, it was that stage-play that really served as the source of his lasting smile.

'The Kingdom of Frogs' had concluded shortly before midday, allowing for enough time to acquire something from the food and drink stalls before heading back toward the area by the entrance to the Imperial Tower.

Though each of his comrades appeared to like the performance well enough, it seemed evident that Ras'Dar had enjoyed it the most. He'd been thoroughly entertained throughout the performance, often forcing himself to suppress the urge to laugh or otherwise express his delight a little too loudly.

The play did have several humorous moments, but it wasn't strictly a work of comedy. The lighter moments were really intended as more of a counterpoint to the greater tragedy of the story. It told the tale of the king of an unspecified land, whose son and heir had been transformed into a large frog by a mysterious sorcerer.

From the beginning of the tale, it remained rather unclear exactly how or why the prince had been transformed in such a manner. Any proper detail of that unseen sorcerer also remained just as vague until the very end.

Many of the brief scenes involved the haggard king speaking to the mostly silent frog sitting upon a pedestal. Of course, it wasn't a real frog. Merely a painted carving of an oversized amphibian. That added some levity whenever a loud croaking noise was returned from offstage in response to the troubled king's words.

Many other important parts of the play were told by the unseen narrator calling out to the audience from offstage. The king and other players often came and went from the stage, acting out their \parts as the storyteller recited the tale.

In desperation, the king had tried many things to restore his son. Prayer to the Divines had produced no results. He had sought out other powerful mages, in the hope that one of them could successfully reverse what the sorcerer had done to the prince.

One old wise-woman and respected healer of his kingdom suggested that only the power derived of the bonds of strong love could overcome the enchantment. She'd lamented that it might have been a far simpler matter if the prince had not remained unwed.

The king proceeded to have the suitable daughters of nobility brought in from across the kingdom. Each one was directed to pass time with the princely frog and declare her love for her prince. Of course, all of that came to nothing.

In a scene depicting his great despair, the king had kissed the frog upon the head, declaring his undeniable love for his son and again renewing his vows to the Nine Divines through prayer. Of course, that produced no result either.

Eventually, the king sent out the call for the mysterious sorcerer, declaring that he would meet any reasonable bargain that might bring his torment to closure.

In very short order, the stranger responded to that call. The cloaked and hooded sorcerer met with the king and to hear the pleas in person. Upon their meeting, the stranger had transformed a servant into stone and then back again, demonstrating his great power. After dismissing the frightened servant, the meeting proceeded.

Appearing very near to breaking point, the king declared that he would surrender to anything that the sorcerer asked, 'if it meant that his son could again be just like everyone else in the kingdom'.

The sorcerer seemed suddenly swayed by the king's words, indicating that it sounded 'exactly like the kind of bargain' that he could agree to.

The sorcerer's terms were plain, if not perfectly clear. He required that the king would renounce his claim to the lands of his kingdom and pledge willing service to the sorcerer.

The king had no more fight left in him. He agreed to the terms.

It was only then that the mysterious sorcerer pulled back his hood. He grinned broadly through his graying beard, then shed his dark cloak for the colourful garb beneath, revealing himself as Sheogorath, the Daedric Prince of madness.

As the narrator explained, the mad trickster god had acquired just what he had wanted from that circumstance. Everyone in that kingdom was transformed into frogs, just like the prince. Only the king remained unchanged. All would be transported from the mundane world to The Shivering Isles, the Daedric realm of the mad god.

The actor portraying Sheogorath explained that he 'really did need a lot more frogs in the swampy parts of his realm'. However, that would hardly be enough. What he really needed was a 'good man willing to watch over all those frogs'. "After all, frogs were terrible at looking after themselves and a Daedric Prince just doesn't have the time to do everything."

Ras'Dar could barely contain himself at the conclusion of the stage-play.

Forester had pointed out to the Khajiit that the play wasn't meant to be funny, only for the sake of being funny. It was more of a tragic morality tale serving as a dark warning of the consequences of dealing with Daedric Princes.

Ras'Dar didn't really argue otherwise. He merely acknowledged the amusing irony of it all. He suggested that laughter was the only reasonable response to the foolishness of mortals choosing to bargain, when gods have already decided their fates.

* * *

Leaving the immediate vicinity of that performance stage area over on the southern side of the Green Emperor Way, the group of five headed back up onto the elevated walkway circling the Imperial Tower. Just a short distance from there, they stopped by one of the temporary stalls, where they were able to purchase their repasts.

A little further around that broad walkway, it seemed that the crowds had thinned out just a little. The spot where the jugglers had been entertaining the spectators no longer hosted anything of that kind. It seemed that those two performing Bosmer had packed up for the time being and no other entertainment had immediately taken up that position.

Without actually stopping, Rena had taken a moment to again peruse the schedule on the printed broadsheet that she'd kept on her person. "Looks like another play back at that same place, a bit later this afternoon."

Forester made a noise, indicating that she had his attention.

Rena continued. "And… I think this thing over in the Arena District must be a play based on that book."

Turning toward the schedule, Forester looked through squinted eyes to see what she was talking about. "Oh, that one. A rather grim tale. I can't imagine that it would make for agreeable entertainment."

Monika weighed in, without knowing exactly what they were referring to. "Don't really expect that the Prince's address will last all that long. Oughta be time enough to look into those things afterward."

Ras'Dar nodded enthusiastically. "This one would very much like to see as much as can be seen on this day." Of course, he could have gone off on his own way at any time, but the Suthay Khajiit wanted to remain with his comrades. He felt that those kinds of entertainments were often more enjoyable in the company of good friends.

Alex said nothing about the stage-plays. He was far more interested in just getting around to the western side of the tower to catch Attrebus' Emperor's Day address. He glanced only briefly to the sky overhead, trying to estimate the time from the angle of the late-autumn sun. From his measure, it could not have been much past the midday mark. Nevertheless, he did not want to be late because they dallied too long.

Alex's stride seemed to set the pace as they continued onward. Nearing the guarded entrance to the Imperial Tower, the movement along the walkway soon became notably more problematic. The closer that they approached that area near to the Talos Plaza District side of the Green Emperor Way, the thicker that the crowding became.

There were some other signs that things were near to getting under way. At the entrance to the tower, instead of just those two guards that were typically stationed by those tall timber doors bearing the symbol of the Imperial Dragon, there were now six guards attired in the armour of the Palace Guard.

Much to Alex's chagrin, any further forward movement had quickly become stifled before quite reaching the place where that timber platform had been erected for the Prince's appearance. The strung up Imperial banner could be seen easily enough, as well as a few more Imperial guards wearing varied styles of armour lurking just beyond that, standing near the stone wall of the tower. However, most of the elevated platform itself remained obscured from clear view.

That area immediately surrounding the raised platform was already very crowded. A broad mix of people representing all the races of the lands had gathered there to see the Crown Prince of Imperial Cyrodiil deliver his address.

Naturally, a great deal of those people gathered were Imperials, Bretons, Nords, or of some mixed heritage of that kind. At the same time, there were also quite a few dark-skinned Redguard and a number of those of the various Merish races, even a couple of Orcs. There were even just a few Khajiit and Argonians to be spotted among the faces. That was a great testament to the general popularity of Prince Attrebus among the common folk of the land.

Even if not quite as popular as he might have been decades earlier, Emperor Titus Mede remained well respected by most commoners and nobles alike. After all, his struggles to restore the Empire after ending the Stormcrown Interregnum, upholding as much of the spirit of Septim Dynasty as was achievable, had earned him much respect. Of course, there could be some great distance between respect and popularity. The current Emperor commanded great respect for his position and his past achievements. However, the future Emperor was probably far more popular than his father.

With so many people all trying to gain the best view, there seemed little opportunity to make any further progress through that crowd. Accordingly, the group of five Guild Fighters would just need to settle for the best position that was possible. They weren't all that close to the raised platform, but probably near enough to see and hear the Prince's address.

Alex sighed, sounding slightly annoyed. "We will not be able to get any closer. It looks like we should have tried to get back here earlier."

Monika ignored his complaining, craning her neck and trying to decide whether there would be a clear line of sight to where the Prince would most likely be standing.

Forester responded diplomatically. "Perhaps, we might have done better to arrive a little earlier, though it's hard to say. It does look like this crowd has been standing here for some time."

Rena added her own opinion. "Doesn't matter. It is what it is. And anyway, I reckon we'll still hear good enough from here."

Forester responded only by clearing his throat and returning a resolute nod.

Alex said no more, accepting that he would just have to make the best of it.

Though he'd not said anything, Ras'Dar seemed a bit more agitated. He'd been bobbing up and down, trying to see what remained just beyond his direct view. Given his lesser stature, he couldn't actually see much at all.

Leaving his comrades, the diminutive Khajiit moved back toward the outer edge of the walkway. He found his way to the low stone wall that marked the edge, then climbed up onto that wall and held to the support column. From there, he held a far better view.

Alex looked over to where Ras'Dar had positioned himself. Though he considered that there might have been a far better view from back there, he imagined that it might be a little harder to hear as clearly from that distance. He kept those thoughts to himself, remaining with Monika and his other friends.

The following moments had been punctuated by brief passing comments relating to how long they might be waiting, followed by periods of relative silence, deferring to the dull roar that generally accompanied a gathering of such size.

Eventually, some rippling movement bristling through the crowds provided some fair indication that something was happening or about to happen. They couldn't quite see exactly what it was, but it seemed that someone was making their way toward the raised platform.

"This could be him, now." Alex was shifting his head about, trying to see.

Forester frowned. "I hadn't seen the Prince emerging from the doors of the tower."

Rena countered. "You might've just missed that… or he coulda just come directly from somewhere else."

Forester didn't argue.

Monika stood slightly taller than each of the others. "I think I just saw him."

Alex strained to see where she was looking.

"Over there." Monika indicated the space behind the raised platform area.

Looking off through the shifting crowd, Alex still couldn't spot the Prince, but accepted what she said as true.

Clad in that ornate armour which clearly set them apart from regular city guards, two members of the Imperial Palace Guard stepped up onto the elevated framework, taking position near the front of it, one on either side. A moment later, another two then appeared near the rear of the raised platform.

Those four were soon joined by two other armoured individuals, wearing hooded cloaks. They took up position near the middle on either side of the elevated platform. From appearance, those last two looked to be Imperial battlemages, presumably assigned to the palace from the Synod.

The passage of yet another lengthy moment provided no indication of the Imperial Prince. Instead, a rather portly Imperial man with a receding hairline stepped up to take position upon the platform. From Alex's perspective, or that of his friends, the man was not anyone immediately recognisable. It was fair to assume that he must have been someone of higher station. That came across in the way that he was dressed and the way that he carried himself.

The official-looking Imperial man turned around to look about briefly, then returned his gaze toward the gathered crowd. His ample frame mostly obscured the figure immediately behind him. A glimpse of fair-coloured hair provided some indication of the identity of the man lurking in his shadow.

Without introducing himself, the Imperial man affected a forced smile and waved his hands about, calling for the crowd's attention. The din of the gathering seemed to abate only very slightly. The noise seemed sustained by some portion of the crowd telling others to be quiet. He waited a lengthy moment before speaking up. "My fellow citizens…"

He paused a moment longer, evidently waiting to observe some indication that he held some attention, then reiterated his call to observance. "Citizens."

The rowdy clamour of the crowd finally eased to more of a dulled murmur. "My fellow citizens of the Empire, I present to you… the heir to the Ruby Throne of Imperial Cyrodiil, the Crown Prince of the Tamrielic Empire of…"

An expression of distraction crept across the man's face as he paused. The look seemed to indicate that the Prince had verbally interrupted to curtail the officious introduction.

Regaining his outward composure, the portly man finished in a far more direct manner. "Crown Prince Attrebus." He stepped back to allow the Prince to take his place.

The sounds of cheers and applause rang out as Attrebus stepped forward. He was dressed in a fashion that expressed nobility. However, the top of his doublet was left loose, as though the proper fastening of it seemed overly formal to him.

Whether from having seen him previously in person or merely from seeing his likeness in any of the many printed books about him, his face had become recognisable enough to many of the Empire's citizens. His green eyes looked up from beneath his fair hair. Aside from his slightly crooked nose, his lean features were relatively unremarkable. His easy grin conveyed an air of confidence, readily masking the concerns or unspoken secrets that might remain hidden behind.

Waving his open hands toward the gathered crowds, he allowed a long moment to pass before speaking loudly enough to be heard. "I can see that all of you seem to be enjoying the festival this year."

The Prince's comment provoked more cheers. The noise seemed even louder than before. The roaring sound echoed from the far stone walls separating that space from the Talos Plaza District, amplifying the effect of that joyful thunder.

Briefly glancing to the armoured men by his side, Attrebus shook his head in an exaggerated manner. His broad grin never faltered. He continued to wait for the enthusiastic clamour to ease, but it seemed to remain more or less consistent.

Finally, in an effort to settle the roars of approval, the Crown Prince raised his arms and motioned with his hands in a call for quiet.

As he was trying to settle the crowd, Attrebus shifted just a little to his right. At that precise moment, a gleaming blade sailed under his left arm, slicing through the loose cloth of his garment. The business end of the dagger embedded in the shoulder of the portly Imperial man just behind him.

Much faster than Forester could ever have managed, if he actually possessed that measure of skill, the hooded battlemage to Attrebus' left had raised a magical shield projected in front of the Prince. Less than a heartbeat had passed by before that second battlemage had done the same.

Almost all the flying blades of the barrage that followed were caught or deflected by the magical shields protecting the Prince. There were possibly twelve or sixteen daggers in total. Just one blade of that grouping sailed wide of the target, missing the shields altogether and glancing off the armour of one of the Imperial Guard.

It was only just after those blades had ceased flying, that Forester had finished whispering the spell to call up a magical fireball to his hand. He was still not at all certain what he intended to do. He held the magical flame in one hand, ready to call up a second or several more, once that the spell was properly prepared.

Time seemed to slow as Forester shifted his gaze back and forth. There were noises of alarmed shouting ringing out, immediately replacing those previous roars of cheer. All of it seemed to blur together into an unintelligible muddle of discord. Forester observed the Prince being shielded and pulled down to safety by his Imperial Guard.

By Forester's best estimate, he thought that the flying blades had come from somewhere directly in front the raised platform, off to the left of where he'd been standing with his comrades. However, he held no clear idea of exactly who might have been responsible for the assault.

During the following brief moment, a number of other things occurred almost simultaneously. In a somewhat delayed manner, most of that portion of the mixed gathering nearest to the raised platform had ducked down low, either fearing more projectiles from behind, or else in anticipation of retaliation delivered from the guards or battlemages in front of them.

Other portions of the crowd behaved in a variety of ways. With no other immediate option at hand, some merely remained in place, then crouching down in alarm like those nearer to the Prince. A number of those near to the outer edges of the gathering had started moving off as soon as they realised what was happening. It was only those about that outer perimeter that could easily do so.

In a short burst, a staggered flow of movement started to spill out along the elevated walkway toward the north. A similar surge shifted toward the south. The somewhat more restricted motion of another portion of the crowd indicated that those nearest to the steps had started to retreat down onto the green.

Despite the flow of some trying to move clear of the immediate area, Forester and his companions managed to hold position. Either Rena or Monika, or both of them had said something to Forester that he should have heard. However, none of it registered with him. His focus remained elsewhere.

Amongst all the other noises of the crowd, there were two loud calls that rang out clearly enough to briefly catch Forester's attention. In both cases, it was more a matter of likely relevance than anything else, which attracted his regard.

Coming from somewhere over near those steps down to the green, a woman's voice screamed out. "It's them Bosmer jugglers. They're the ones what done it."

"This bastard's got fire in his hands." A gruff-sounding male Nord shouted out from somewhere much nearer than that other voice.

With just a heartbeat's hesitation, Forester dismissed that second call, assuming that it was most likely about him. Instead, he focussed upon the shout about those Bosmer performers. It made perfect sense to him that those jugglers could be responsible for hurling that rapid-fire barrage of daggers. Still, he held onto his fireballs. There might well have been some Bosmer among those in view, but he could not recognise anyone that he could clearly identify as one of those two performers. In any case, even if he had, he would not have been able to acquire any clear shot at any such target.

More frantic calls of alarm rang out amongst the din. Much of it remained so much background noise, but some of it stood out more clearly. There were shouts of 'Protect the Prince' and the like. A few other words gained further substance as they were repeated by others voices in the crowd. Three words stood out more than others. Specifically, 'Bosmer', 'jugglers', and 'assassins'.

A male hand fell upon Forester's shoulder. He reasonably assumed that it might have been Alex trying to gain his attention. Before turning about, he tried to set his eyes upon Ras'Dar. However, the Khajiit had disappeared from where he had been perched along that low stone wall and it seemed that he was nowhere to be seen.

Before he had the chance to turn back around, Forester felt himself being forced down toward the stone paving.

A rugged-sounding Colovian voice accompanied the rough grip pressing Forester down to the stone. "Put out the flames, or you'll lose a hand."

Extinguishing the magical fire, Forester struggled and tried to turn his head about enough to see. Though he couldn't actually see the man's face, he recognised the armour of a Legionnaire. He could just see another pair of Legion soldiers pushing back the people immediately behind the man holding him down. Coming from somewhere beyond the cleared circle, he heard his wife's voice. She was insisting upon being let through, but it didn't seem like the soldiers were having any of it.

"My goo-ouf." Forester tried to speak, but the soldier knocked the wind out of him.

The Colovian Legionnaire spoke again. "You'll stay down and keep ya mouth shut, if you know what's good for ya."

Releasing a haggard sigh of resignation, Forester ceased any further attempt at struggling or even speaking. He was certainly relieved that the assassination attempt seemed to have failed and the Prince was safe. However, he was suitably annoyed that energy was being wasted holding the wrong man, whilst the true assassins were getting away.

~O~


	8. Chapter 8

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 8

Sundas the 30th of Frostfall 4E50 Early Afternoon

Only moments before, most of the elevated walkway about the western side of the White-Gold Tower had been heavily crowded with the broad mix of people gathered to observe Prince Attrebus' Emperor's Day address. In the wake of the assassination attempt by two Bosmer posing as festival performers, that circumstance had shifted markedly.

Many of those about the outer parts of the gathering had scattered at the earliest opportunity, spreading out along the central walkway toward both the north and south. A notable number had descended the nearby steps, spilling out onto the relatively open space of the Green Emperor Way. Most hadn't gone all that far, but they had retreated from the immediate proximity of the failed attack upon the Prince.

Over by the elevated timber platform erected for the address, several Imperial Palace Guard along with a pair of battlemages surrounded the Crown Prince. Not all of the citizens had fully abandoned that area. Though far more dispersed than before, there were still quite a few people in the immediate vicinity. Some of them might have remained out of concern for their Prince. Some, perhaps more motivated by fear. It would be fair to assume that some remained somewhat stunned by what had just transpired, not knowing quite what to do.

Throughout those clustered smattering of groups, there were a number of regular city guards and some other Imperial Legion soldiers. Their number had seemed rather less notable before all the chaos had erupted. Before that, those soldiers and guards had been more evenly distributed throughout the gathered masses. The diminished crowd made them stand out far more than before. Added to that, responding to the trouble, more soldiers had been quickly drawn to that specific area from nearby.

The immediate threat appeared to have passed. However, that assumption could hardly be taken for granted. Two armoured soldiers could be seen carrying that portly official toward the doors to the Imperial Tower. His wound appeared serious, though unlikely to prove fatal. Prince Attrebus and his entourage of protectors remained clustered in a closed knot for a few moments longer, before the group began to head off for the entrance to the tower.

"Hold. Hold." A commanding voice rang out loudly from that assemblage of armoured soldiers and guards.

"I said, hold." The instruction was repeated with even greater volume and authority. It became quickly evident that it was Prince Attrebus issuing the commands. He stepped out from behind the inner wall of protectors to issue further commands to other nearby guards and soldiers.

The Prince pointed to one of the Legionnaires. "You. The Emperor is in the Arena District. Gather others along the way." The command was clear enough. The soldier was gone on his way, with no more than an abbreviated nod. Two others ran after him.

Attrebus immediately turned back toward an Imperial Palace Guard. "I want the palace on highest alert. See to my family." That guard moved off as quickly as he could.

"Assassins?" The Prince's brusque question hadn't been directed toward any specific individual. He looked about with an expectant expression.

A nearby Legionnaire spoke up. "My Prince, a pair of Bosmer. They might have been festival performers, or only pretending to be performers."

Attrebus' brow knitted tightly. "Soldiers in pursuit?"

The Legionnaire waved his hand toward the south. "Several."

The Prince glanced in that direction. "I want them captured, alive if possible."

The soldier nodded sharply. "I'll see to it." He grabbed two nearby members of the City Guard and quickly ran off in the proper direction.

With a concerned expression, Attrebus quickly glanced about the clusters of citizens still standing about the general area. He looked like he wanted to say something. Or at the least, like he might be debating himself over whether he should do so.

A Palace Guard sought his attention. "My Prince?"

Attrebus didn't turn to face the guard. Something else caught his eye. He'd noticed soldiers and guards holding back a group of people. Just nearby, another soldier was holding a bearded man in mithril armour down on the stone paving. It took just an extended moment for him to place the face of the man restrained by the Legionnaire.

Attrebus stepped forward, taking his protectors by surprise. The Palace Guard rushed forward to quickly close on either side of the Prince.

"I know this man. He's Fighters Guild. Get him up."

With a surprised look on his face, the Legion soldier responded immediately to the Prince's firm command, pulling Forester up to his feet. Still, he kept a firm grip upon his captive's arms, uncertain of abandoning all caution just yet.

Looking to the bearded man, Attrebus spoke again. "Forester, isn't it? From Skingrad?"

Looking somewhat dishevelled, Forester cleared his throat. "Yes, my Prince. That's right."

Attrebus frowned. "Why?" It was open question.

The soldier behind Forester shifted slightly and opened his mouth, without actually attempting any verbal explanation.

Forester spoke up first. "A misunderstanding, I'm sure."

A gesture from the Prince prompted the soldier to release his grip upon the bearded Guild Fighter. The Legionnaire responded accordingly, stepping back slightly.

Forester offered some more. "I ah… well, I suspect that I caused some additional alarm, by preparing a magical attack for those assassins."

"Did you see them?" Attrebus narrowed his eyes.

"Well, er… sadly, no. I was only alerted by the loud accusations that the Bosmer jugglers were responsible. I'm afraid that I held no clear opportunity to do any more. Too many people…" He trailed off, noting the Prince's distracted gaze.

Attrebus had noticed two other recognisable faces in the group of people being held back by guards and soldiers. Along with Forester, he'd met with Monika Northwind and Alex Pinewatch upon only a few rare occasions over the past three years. Nevertheless, given some of those matters that they'd become involved with and their service to the Empire, he had little trouble remembering the pair of them. Added to that, some of those matters had also served to again remind the Prince to keep a closer eye upon the activities of his father's Penitus Oculatus.

"Guards. Guards and Legionnaires." Attrebus sought the attention of the men and women holding back that particular group of citizens.

A Redguard woman in Legion armour turned about to meet the Prince's gaze.

Attrebus gestured his hand toward the taller woman of Nord appearance. "Allow those people through. They're comrades of this man."

Presuming that the Prince held no reasonable knowledge of Rena's status, Monika pushed her ahead of Alex and herself as they stepped forward.

The Imperial woman seemed far more anxious of Forester's current state, than the presence of the Crown Prince. She was looking him over with a clear expression of concern as Attrebus looked to her with a curious frown.

Forester noted his expression. "My wife, Rena. Also Fighters Guild."

Affecting half a grin, the Prince inclined his head slightly. "A pleasure… despite the circumstances."

Rena returned a courteous nod. "My Prince."

Maintaining a strained smile, Attrebus looked to Monika and Alex. "It seems that we almost always only ever cross paths when there's trouble. Did you manage to see anything of the attackers?"

Monika responded first. "I saw some people running off, but couldn't get a good look before they made it down the steps. Could've been those Bosmer jugglers. Couldn't move to do anything about it. Too crowded."

Alex waved his hand off toward the south. "I think that we saw them earlier. We had no idea…"

Attrebus interrupted. "That they were assassins? No. I doubt that anybody had any idea. Not until they acted. Can't be helped." With a shrug, he shook his head.

Reacting to Treb's casual acceptance of the attempt upon his life, Alex's brow furrowed deeply. "But they just tried to kill you."

The Prince shrugged again. "Comes with the position. Not the first assassination attempt I've faced and I'm sure it won't be the last."

Forester cleared his throat loudly. "Those assassins may have failed, but they were not unskilled."

Attrebus returned an exaggerated nod, which ended in a brief shake of his head. "No, not unskilled. Their failure might have been more of a combination of luck with the skill of my own protectors. I'm confident of all our guards and Legionnaires doing their duty, but they can't know everything about everything before it happens. More so, if there's so much effort to keep it from being known at all." From his tone, that last part sounded it like it might have been a criticism of the Penitus Oculatus failing to identify a threat.

Alex affected an earnest expression. "Should we be involved?"

Treb tilted his head to one side. "At this point? Imperial soldiers are after those responsible. I need to trust that the Emperor is already well protected and that further warning will be enough." He glanced up toward the tower. "My family should also be well protected." His expression shifted at that point. It revealed that he most likely wanted to be up there with his wife and child, as soon as it was reasonably possible.

Noting the restless murmur of the remaining crowd in immediate view, Attrebus' expression shifted again. "Just a moment. I want to address those still here."

The Prince's protectors seemed less than enthusiastic over the behaviour of their charge. Nonetheless, they remained close as they followed him back over to the elevated platform near to the tower wall. His entourage remained just as close by as he jumped up to the front of the platform.

Unlike before, Alex and his companions were easily able to position themselves much closer to the Prince to hear his words.

"Citizens. Citizens." The Crown Prince managed to gain the relative silence of those nearby with far greater ease than before. "Please accept my sincere regrets that our festivities have been disrupted in such a manner."

A subdued undertone persisted, but it seemed that he held the ear of most of those nearby.

Attrebus continued. "Please, don't allow this to disrupt things any more than necessary. You should all go about your day. Drink, dance, be merry. None of you should have anything to worry about. Not unless you're some sort of assassin… or an Imperial Prince."

In response to his broad smile and his words, some laughter could be heard, along with the relatively restrained measure of cheers of approval.

Another disruption interrupted. Some unintelligible shouts came from the back of the crowd, directly ahead of where the Prince stood. It quickly resolved to something more clearly comprehensible. "Stand aside. Make way, make way."

The Imperial Guard had again closed about the Prince as those crowds gathered nearest to the steps parted to reveal the source of the fresh disturbance.

Attrebus almost expected to see that one of those Wood-Elf assassins had been captured by soldiers. Instead, he observed that two soldiers of the City Guard were holding up a struggling Suthay Khajiit in polished armour. They held him up so that his oddly shaped feet were dangling and unable to quite touch the ground.

The guard on the left spoke. "We have this Khajiit that we captured. He was running along in the same direction as those assassins.

Forester spoke up immediately. "That's Ras'Dar. He's with us. Fighters Guild."

The restrained Khajiit added his own defence. "This one tried to chase Bosmer assassins, but Imperial Guards stopped Ras'Dar." Both his tone and expression made it sound like he'd already tried to tell those guards all of that before, but failed to convince them.

Based solely upon Forester's words, Attrebus was more easily swayed. With an annoyed expression, the Prince spoke directly to the guards. "Release him. Go after the assassins."

The guards lowered the Suthay Khajiit to the paved walkway, then quickly dashed off back in the direction that they'd just come from.

The Prince took note of the diminutive Khajiit, perhaps intending to ask a pointed question. However, before he had the opportunity to do so, fresh disquiet arose from the rear of the crowds to his left. Coming along the elevated walkway from the south, a soldier pushed his way through the gathering toward the platform.

The Prince's Imperial Guard appeared immediately agitated once again, closing about him. Attrebus gently pressed them back. He'd recognised the soldier as that Legionnaire who he'd spoken with only a short time before, that one who'd gone off with two members of the City Guard.

The soldier seemed almost out of breath. "My Prince… assassins… two Bosmer." He paused just a moment to swallow and catch his breath. "My Prince. One of them was killed in the Temple District and the other escaped."

"Escaped?" Ignoring the first part, Attrebus returned a frown. He did want them captured alive, but accepted that it might not have been possible.

"Legionnaires and guards are still in pursuit. Headed for the Arboretum District."

"The body?"

"Guarded. I thought you'd wanted to be kept informed."

Attrebus nodded. "Yes, of course. The body should be brought in for examination."

The Legionnaire returned a sharp nod. "I'll see to it."

The Prince's expression indicated dismissal and the soldier dashed off again.

Attrebus released a heavy sigh and stepped down from the platform. Evidently, he'd decided that there was little purpose in speaking any further to the broader gathering of citizens still milling about in the immediate vicinity. He looked to the Guild Fighters again. More specifically, he looked to the Khajiit.

"Raster, is it?"

The Khajiit's ears pricked up. He affected a toothy grin. "Ras'Dar… my Prince."

Attrebus nodded. "Sorry… Ras'Dar. Did you manage to get a good look at those Bosmer you were chasing?"

Ras'Dar maintained his grin, but his ears lowered slightly. "Sadly, this one did not have good chance to see clearly. Only seen from behind. Both Bosmer. Both with dark hair. Not older, but not younglings."

Attrebus frowned. He was hoping that the Khajiit could identify the Bosmer or had observed something that might prove important. It was a reasonable concern that they may not have been the only two assassins at large in the Imperial City that day.

Ras'Dar added something else. "This one did recognise scent."

The Prince's expression prompted him to elaborate.

"Scent of jagga was strong."

"Jagga?" Attrebus repeated.

"Bosmer of Valenwood known to drink fermented pig milk with strange bugs mixed in. Jagga, yes?" Ras'Dar's flattened ears and expression indicated his obvious distaste of the idea of such a thing. Still, it seemed that he must have encountered it before to have recognised the distinctive odour.

Attrebus blinked. "Yes, I've heard of it. Green Pact ritual and such." As he understood it, jagga was supposed to be a valued commodity in old Valenwood and generally only consumed during special occasions.

The senior battlemage at the Prince's side interrupted. "My Prince." He held up a steel dagger that he'd kept on hand. It was one of those projectiles that had been hurled by the would-be assassins. "These blades were not bone. Locally forged. Nothing special."

Attrebus understood what was meant. Those Wood-Elves of Valenwood who strictly followed the terms of the Green Pact would be more likely to wield weapons of bone. Still, he didn't take that for granted. He expected that the Bosmer living under the rule of Aldmeri Altmer might have been forced to accept various unpalatable compromises. Given the circumstance of the closed borders of the Aldmeri Dominion, he had to concede that he didn't really know.

The Prince's attention returned to the Khajiit. "Do you think you can still track that scent, if it comes to that? The jagga?"

Ras'Dar nodded eagerly. "Yes, this one thinks so. Not something common to other people of city. Not even other Bosmer. Only on those Bosmer."

Attrebus looked like he was considering certain options, in case the soldiers were unable to catch that second assailant, or perhaps entertaining the notion that there might well be others out there needing to be tracked down.

"My Prince." An Imperial Guard at his side appeared notably ill at ease with the Crown Prince's continued presence out in the open, considering the circumstances.

Treb returned a knowing expression. "Yes, very shortly." He shifted his gaze back to the Guild Fighters. "I do realise that you're all at liberty today, however I think that ah… that Ras'Dar might be able to help."

Alex responded first. "If you need us…"

Monika interjected. "We're not exactly equipped for that today."

Treb nodded. "No, I certainly understand that… and I can have that remedied easily enough. Whatever you might need."

"This one is ready to help." Ras'Dar's eyes quickly darted to scan the faces of his comrades to see if anyone immediately objected.

Alex's thoughts were already evident.

Forester's expression indicated a measure of grim resolve, telegraphing that he was ready to act if called upon, though he probably would have preferred that it wasn't necessary.

Both Monika and Rena appeared equally apprehensive at the prospect. With all those Imperial guards and Legionnaires already on the job, it would have been fair to presume that neither of them really thought that a handful of Guild Fighters could contribute much more.

Before anyone could speak, yet another disruption alarmed the Palace Guard. Once again, they drew close about the Prince.

A City Guard had been running toward them, coming around from the northern side of the tower. Trying to push his way through the gaps in the crowd, he called out. "Prince, Prince Attrebus."

Attrebus peered through his wall of protectors with a frown. He didn't immediately recognise the man calling out to him, only the armoured uniform.

Huffing for breath, the guard explained himself. "I was… I was sent to report."

The Prince stepped forward to stand between two Palace Guards. His expression encouraged the other man to continue.

"Those assassins… two Bosmer… one's dead… in the Temple District. The other one made it into the Arboretum District."

Treb already knew that much. "More to report?"

The guard nodded in an animated manner. "That other Bosmer… he was seen dropping down into the sewer… in the Arboretum District. Soldiers have gone down after him."

The Prince's eyes shifted back and forth. "There's a sewer outlet, down below the Arcane University."

The guard nodded. "Some Legionnaires were already sent off to that sewer exit."

"We need to get more people to the other exits."

"Prince Attrebus, I think they're already doing that."

The Prince nodded. "Best make sure of it. I need you to go tell them I want soldiers at all the entrances and outlets of the sewer system. All of them. Including those inside the city walls and any of those outlets outside the walls. The Prince's orders."

With wide eyes, the City Guard nodded furiously. "Yes, Prince Attrebus."

Treb returned a grim smile. "Good man."

Pausing only momentarily to reflect the Prince's forced smile, the City Guard spun about and headed off back toward where he'd come from.

Attrebus turned back toward the Guild Fighters, releasing a short sigh. "Look, I won't issue any direct command… but I do think I could use your help with this. Especially Ras'Dar, but even better if it were all of you."

Forester responded first. "Of course."

The Prince elaborated. "I hold the men and women of the Legion and City Guard in high regard. I'm confident that they'll manage to secure the city, but what we might need is good trackers. With the chase heading down into the sewers, I think Fighters Guild might be more useful than soldiers or guards."

"I understand." Forester indicated his agreement with a curt nod.

Monika sighed. "Yeah, you're right. Soldiers are noisy. That Bosmer's gonna be hard to find down there, but Ras'Dar might stand the best chance… with some help."

Treb nodded. "Good, good. Whether it matters or not, I'll see to it that you're properly compensated for your service."

The Prince looked to his guards, noting their anxieties. Looking toward the entrance to the tower, he released a heavy sigh. "We need to get you outfitted, then get this under way as quickly as possible. Let's take this inside."

The Guild Fighters followed the Prince and his entourage in the proper direction.

~O~


	9. Chapter 9

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 9

Sundas the 30th of Frostfall 4E50 Afternoon

Following the Prince and his bodyguards, the procession moved briskly along the elevated walkway, ascending the short run of stone steps by the entrance to the White-Gold Tower, then passing through those heavy outer doors. Unlike the past few times that some of those Guild Fighters had been inside, the more ornate doors that led through to the chamber where the Elder Council met were left wide open, revealing some of what lay beyond. Those doors were normally closed and attended by the Imperial Palace Guard. However with everything that was going on, those postings had been evidently abandoned in favour of more important concerns. Only the pale stone statues by either side of the doorway stood guard.

With one guard behind them, the five Guild Fighters followed the Prince's entourage to the right and down along the curved hallway which followed the internal circumference of the tower's outer wall. In places, the floors of the hall were lined with longs mats cut to match the curvature. Paintings, tapestries and drapes lined the walls of the broad hallway at regular intervals.

Monika, Alex and Forester had passed that way just a few times before over the period of the past two years. Only once or twice had there been opportunity to amble just a little and take more of a look at things. There wouldn't be any time for that on that day.

In the company of those others, Ras'Dar had been inside the Imperial Tower just the once. That had been precisely two years before. Upon that previous occasion, since he was just a foreign Khajiit fresh from Elsweyr, he'd been treated with a far greater measure of suspicion at the time. Though no one was really paying attention, from the way that the diminutive Suthay was currently carrying himself, he seemed clearly pleased to be walking those halls as a valued Guild Fighter and citizen of the Empire.

Rena was the only one of their party to have never before set foot inside that place at all. She'd cast rapid glances over various things as she passed by, but held no opportunity to really take in much of anything as they hurried along the curved hall.

The procession halted just short of the rampart leading up to the next level. A dark haired Imperial man of unremarkable appearance approached. He was dressed rather plainly in clothing that didn't immediately indicate his position or purpose.

"Prince Attrebus?"

The Prince returned a questioning gaze. He didn't seem to recognise the other man.

"Inspector Baywater, my Prince. I was sent by my superior."

Treb prompted the Penitus Oculatus agent. "What do you know?"

"So far, only the basics. A failed attempt upon your life. Your wife and child are safe in the palace quarters. As yet, no news regarding the Emperor."

The Prince provided a distilled version of what he knew of the Bosmer assassins.

As they concluded the exchange, a Redguard woman dressed in Imperial Palace Guard armour emerged from the doorway at the top of the rampart leading up to the second level. With a mixed expression of concern and uncertainty, she glanced toward the group of strangers standing behind the other guards, then directed a second glance toward the unfamiliar man by the Prince's side.

Evidently, Treb was perfectly familiar with the Redguard. Though it was most likely unnecessary, he addressed her concerns directly. "Shabriah. Inspector Baywater. These Guild Fighters are assisting."

Shabriah maintained a concerned expression as she assured the Prince that his family was safely guarded upstairs. She also reported that other guards were currently sweeping through each of the many levels of the tower.

Treb returned only nods and murmurs, indicating his satisfaction with her report.

"There's more. A cook was just found dead in the royal kitchens. Not yet sure how she was killed. Nothing obvious. A younger Wood-Elf."

"A Bosmer? In the kitchens?" Attrebus appeared immediately alarmed. He turned to one of the battlemages. "The food and water in the royal suites?"

The mage understood the implication. Presumably, he was skilled in the detection of such things. "Of course, right away." With no more than a curt nod, he was on his way.

Attrebus called out after mage, adding something else. "Spread the word along the way, that there's a firm chance of more spies or assassins within the tower."

The mage paused only long enough to return a nod of acknowledgment.

The Prince returned his attention to the Penitus Oculatus Inspector. "Baywater, I want you to get these Guild Fighters up to the armoury. Everyone except the Khajiit. Get them whatever they need. Then take them to one of the meeting rooms on the fourth level and wait for me there."

Hardly pausing, Attrebus shift his gaze to the Redguard. "Shabriah, I want you to take this Khajiit up to the kitchens to take a look around. When he's done, escort him back down to the others."

Both verbal and non-verbal acknowledgments were exchanged and everyone was quickly on their way, but for Attrebus and his agitated bodyguards. The Prince was delayed once more by yet another breathless soldier rushing in from outside with something potentially important to report.

* * *

Almost half an hour had passed by the time that the four Guild Fighters emerged from that armoury where Baywater had led them. Forester had expected that they would have been taken to an armoury that serviced the Imperial Guard. However, the Inspector led them up to a location on the fifth level. From the variety of equipment available, it was obvious enough that it was stocked to serve the broader requirements of Penitus Oculatus agents.

Forester's own requirements were fairly simple. Since he was already wearing his Mithril armour, albeit without his helmet, he really needed only two blades. The steel sword that he selected was similar enough to his own to meet his preference. The long dagger of steel was hardly of the standard of the ebony blade that he'd left locked up back at the Wawnett, but it would serve well enough.

Since Ras'Dar had yet to come back down from somewhere up above, Forester selected a suitable sword and shield to serve the Khajiit's needs. Of course since Ras'Dar was also already wearing his armour, he wasn't going to need anything else like that either.

Without too much fuss, Alex selected a blade of similar size and weight to his regular elven metal sword. Monika found a mace that seemed satisfactory, though it was nothing much like her own. At Monika's suggestion, there wasn't going to be any need for bows down in the sewers, so that concern was pursued no further. They both dressed themselves in outfits of treated leather armour. Aside from being leather, it seemed nothing like their usual equipment.

Rena opted for the same leather armour. That was only because there was nothing like her own customised steel armour available. Everything on hand seemed far too heavy or bulky to suit her preference.

During all that, Baywater had also outfitted himself. Evidently, he had intentions of coming along with them into the sewers, though nothing of a sort had been discussed to that point. That issue remained unspoken as he led them from the armoury and guided them down one level to one of the meeting rooms, as per the Prince's instructions.

The meeting room was as typically mundane and nondescript as some of them had come to expect from previous occasions. It was perhaps a little larger than some of those other meeting rooms. The stone walls and floor were bare and unadorned. Of course, since the room was located away from the outer walls of the tower, there could be no windows. The two oil lamps set upon opposite walls provided adequate illumination. The plain wooden table could easily accommodate six, as indicated by that same number of chairs in the room.

There was only just enough time to take to seats about the table before Ras'Dar arrived back from those kitchens, located somewhere up above. The Redguard woman didn't even come inside. After delivering the Khajiit, she was on her way as quickly as possible, leaving the door to the room open.

Ras'Dar's eyes lit up briefly as he took note of the sword and shield that Forester had acquired for him. His feline ears twitched as he inspected both items. Though neither the sword nor shield was terribly special, he seemed delighted to be examining something new and shiny.

Rena prompted Ras'Dar to tell them what he'd discovered upstairs. "Find anything?"

He returned a solemn nod. "Scent of jagga on dead Bosmer. Also scent of something else. Very bad smell. Worse than jagga. This one thinks it was a poison of some kind."

Fidgeting with the adjustment of the straps of her leather armour, Monika silently frowned as she considered the Khajiit's words.

Rena responded more quickly. "So, that Bosmer smelled of that jagga stuff, meaning she probably had something to do with those assassins… but she probably died from poison?"

"That is what Ras'Dar could tell." He maintained a serious expression.

Forester gave voice to the obvious conclusion. "I'd imagine that particular individual was tasked with poisoning the royal household. I'd also expect that some of the assassins did not plan to be taken alive, once their task was done."

Alex added his thoughts. "Those other two Bosmer outside tried to run away after trying to kill Treb… ah, the Prince, I mean." He glanced briefly at the Inspector by the wall.

Rena chimed in. "At least one of those Bosmer did get away. So far, anyway."

Forester cleared his throat. "Well yes, so far. I can't presume to know precisely what they might have planned. However, it's fair to assume that that Bosmer woman with the kitchen staff wasn't expecting to leave the tower."

Monika made a noise, expressing that something was annoying her. "Yeah, some of it adds up easy enough. Some of it… I dunno, seems a bit off."

Forester raised his eyebrows in silent question.

Monika resumed. "Seems to me, that Bosmer up in the kitchens took the poison way too early. Should've waited or something. Turning up dead like that was always gonna alert everyone that something was going on. That just means that any attempt at poisoning the royal household would be more likely to fail."

Alex rephrased his previous observation. "Those Bosmer jugglers with the daggers just failed and then ran off."

Rena added something. "Still dunno what might've happen over in the Arena."

Forester followed on from their suggestions. "Yes well, on the one hand, it does seem as though it was somewhat well organised… or at least coordinated. However on the other hand, it does seem that it was all rather poorly executed."

Monika nodded. "Yeah, exactly. It's like someone with a bit of sense must've planned it all out, but then sent a team of idiots to do it."

Forester rubbed his goatee beard. "Yes, perhaps. Though we've not yet heard word of the Emperor, that does seem a fair assumption." He paused only a moment. "There is something else to consider. Some of what has passed, may have only been intended to serve as distraction."

With his ears pricked up, Ras'Dar seemed eager to add another thought. "This one knows from Belwen, Bosmer of the Valenwood do not live freely. High Elves of the Isles would send Bosmer to their ends without caring."

All eyes turn to the Khajiit as he stated the perfectly obvious. Since his earnest expression indicated that he thought he was contributing something new, nobody sought to undermine his enthusiasm.

Forester cleared his throat rather loudly. "Yes well, I do imagine that the Aldmeri Dominion would be the most likely suspect in all of this."

Ras'Dar's expression lit up a little more at those words of validation.

An Imperial Guard glanced inside as he passed along the hall outside. A few other soldiers and the like had periodically passed by the open doorway as they'd been sitting about the wooden table. Aside from the occasional guard pausing to take brief interest, nobody had really disturbed them.

Evidently, Inspector Baywater had grown restless. He'd been leaning by the stone wall, quietly observing the exchange between the Guild Fighters without comment. Suddenly shifting, he made a move for the door. "Wait here."

The Penitus Oculatus agent didn't get far at all. In fact, no further than just beyond the doorway. He paused out in the hallway only briefly, then stepped back inside the room.

From beyond the open doorway, the sound of footfalls and muted voices could be heard, indicating someone approaching along the hall.

A moment later, Prince Attrebus stepped through the doorway. He was accompanied by a slender Imperial man of somewhat advancing years, as indicated by his thinning gray hair and wrinkled visage. The older man was clutching a satchel bursting at the seams with several scrolls peeking out from the open flap.

After insisting that everyone remained seated, the Prince's greeting remained terse, including only a brief observation that the Guild Fighters had been provided with adequate equipment. Noting that Ras'Dar was with them, Attrebus quickly quizzed the Khajiit over what he'd found up in the royal kitchens. The brief explanation seemed only to confirm what he'd already reasonably suspected.

Alex expressed a related concern. "Are your family okay?"

With a sigh, Attrebus returned a weary nod of relief. "I just came from there. They're fine. Healers have checked over Annaïg and our little Princess. So sign of any poisoning, but everything is going to need checking over upstairs. It's being looked into."

Alex's sincere expression reflected his relief. "I am very glad of that, but what about your father?"

Treb released another short sigh. "I just received word, only a few moments ago. The Emperor is safe, but there was an attempt on his life. At about the same time they went after me. Four assassins over in the Arena, all of them Bosmer. They didn't manage to get far at all, before they were interrupted."

Forester responded with an obvious question. "Were any of them apprehended?"

With a frustrated expression, the Prince shook his head. "One was killed almost right away. Three others escaped down into the Bloodworks under the Arena." He paused with a sharp sigh, suggesting a tone of disbelief. "Apparently, they'd prepared a breach in the stone walls down there, with a way into the sewer system beneath."

Forester's knitted brow prompted Attrebus to elaborate.

"No, I can't begin to imagine how they pulled that off without it being noticed. It had to be noisy. Maybe there was some magic used. Either way, two dead arena fighters were found down in the back of the Bloodworks. Some soldiers have gone in after the assassins. But I don't know how far they'll go. Possibly not that far. Not if they don't find anything, or something they can readily follow."

Forester added another thought. "I seem to recall stories from some time ago. Of rogues trying to gain access to the basement levels of the White-Gold Tower via the sewers down beneath."

Treb nodded again. "We have people down in the basement levels of the tower right now. Ensuring that everything is still sealed off."

Forester cleared his throat. "If I may observe, it would seem that though these Bosmeri individuals have not proven very effective assassins, they have still demonstrated that their actions were well planned and coordinated."

Attrebus simultaneously nodded and shrugged. "I can agree with that. I would guess that someone from the Aldmeri Dominion planned everything out for them. The Bosmer were most likely sent as disposable agents. They might all be part of some Bosmer cult that I haven't heard of, but still operating under the instruction of Aldmeri taskmasters."

Rena chimed in. "Maybe something like that Mythic Dawn cult that ended the Septim line." She cringed a little, realising what she'd just suggested to the Crown Prince.

Treb appeared unfazed. "Maybe, except the 'Mede line' isn't nearly imposing enough to attract the interest of Daedric Princes. At least, I wouldn't think so." His expression didn't relay anything of those fleeting brushes that he'd endured with the Daedra during that incident with the invading city of Umbriel.

Forester cleared his throat again. "Nonetheless, it would seem that the Aldmeri Dominion take more than a passing interest in fomenting disunity across the remainder of Tamriel. Especially so, with regard to the ruling seat of Cyrodiil."

Monika interjected. "Apart from the fact that those Bosmer were here as assassins, we're not gonna get the chance to know anything else. Not unless we catch one of them."

Forester's brief glance provided no argument.

Attrebus took charge of the discussion once more. "Right then, we have three dead Bosmer so far. Another four of them out there, that we know of. We already have people containing them in the sewer network. So that part is covered. The harder part is going to fall to you. Your task is to find them down there."

Monika looked to the other Imperial man who came in with the Prince. He'd been clutching his bag of scrolls and remaining silent the whole time. "I take it that you've brought some maps of the sewer system?"

Treb negotiated to acquire the appropriate maps from his older attendant. He briefly studied the labelling before settling upon the two most important scrolls. He spoke again, as he started to unfurl the first one.

"In case not all of you know, the sewer system beneath the city is split into two main sections, the eastern system and the western system. As far as I know, there should be no accessible ways between the two. With that in mind, we're only directly concerned with the parts on the eastern side."

Directing all eyes toward the map on the table, The Prince continued. "This is the layout of the sewers beneath the Arboretum District. Going by the map, this isn't all that complicated. At least not as far as the parts that are large enough to negotiate."

He paused to point out the access point where that Bosmer had dropped down in the system, also pointing out the tunnel outlet to the lake near the Arcane University.

Attrebus resumed. "Obviously, those two exit points are now guarded. These other two points connect to the system beneath the Arena District… beneath the Bloodworks."

He paused again as he was unfurling the second map. "This parts looks a lot more complicated. I expect that's partly a carry-over from earlier times. From back before the Arena District was mostly open parkland and such. These are those two access points that connect back to the south-east section. This is where the feeds come in from the Palace District. That shouldn't be a concern. That's all been sealed off with heavy forged grills. The waste gets out, but nothing any bigger should be able to get through the other way." He paused again to select something on the map. "I'd say that the breach point beneath the Bloodworks must be somewhere about here… or here."

Treb turned and looked to the older man behind him. The other man responded with a reserved nod of agreement.

Forester reached toward the map on the table, pointing with his finger. "This marker here?" He couldn't quite see what it said, since it was upside-down from his perspective.

Treb responded. "That's the main access point into the northern parts of that system, under the Market District, the Imperial Prison and the tunnel leading out to the northern side of the lake."

Another pause passed as the Prince selected a third map for examination.

Alex spoke up, phrasing his comment as a question. "It is possible that we might need to go into that northern section as well?"

Treb only glanced toward him as he unfurled the map in his hands. "Can't say. I do want you to have all the relevant maps, including the one that connects to the north of this, since that that covers all of these connected sections of the sewer system. At least as far as we know."

There were a few further questions to clarify things as they briefly examined the maps provided. Baywater advised the Prince that the Penitus Oculatus were aware of least two additional access points beneath establishments of the Market District. One of them was being watched in connection to a suspected smuggling operation. He suggested that a quick word with one of the Chief Inspectors would see agents discreetly deployed to those locations. Treb looked slightly annoyed over those details, but accepted them in the spirit that they were offered.

Rena posed a consideration. "Should we be going in via the Bloodworks? Or maybe splitting into two teams?"

Monika responded first. "I dunno if that's a good plan."

The Prince weighed in. "I'd expect that you would know best, but I'd think that ah… Ras'Dar, with his superior tracking skills… Well, I'd think that's going to dictate the leads that you can follow."

Rubbing his goatee beard, Forester nodded his agreement. "Yes well, we each have our skills. However, I do think that Ras'Dar does possess superior tracking skills." He paused to glance about. Nobody challenged that assessment. "I'd suggest that we do enter the sewer system via that same access point in the Arboretum District. Start off together, with Ras'Dar directing our trail, then only consider splitting up as circumstances necessitate."

Monika seemed to agree. "Yeah, that sounds best to me. I'd be thinking that there's a good chance the trail is gonna take us toward the sewers down beneath the Bloodworks, but we'll see."

Alex added something. "It might even take us somewhere beneath the Market District, or beyond."

Monika nodded. "Maybe. We'll see."

Attrebus spoke again as he rolled the maps for them. "Well then, I think that's just about everything. If you can, we really do want to capture at least one of them alive… for questioning."

Forester nodded grimly. "Of course. Understood."

Baywater shifted again, drawing attention toward himself. "My Prince."

Treb looked over to him with a frown.

The Inspector took the opportunity to speak further. "If I might suggest, I should accompany the Guild Fighters down into the sewers. If any of the Bosmer dissidents can be located and apprehended, it might be wise or even necessary, that they are interrogated immediately."

A lengthy pause accompanied the Prince's thoughtful expression. He ended the silence with a sharp sigh. "Very well. I'll allow it. But don't undermine the Guild Fighters. And I want to be fully informed of whatever is learned."

"Of course." Baywater returned a respectful nod, without quite making a bow.

After handing the maps to Forester to store in his satchel and brief parting words of good luck, Attrebus stepped back to allow them to go about their task. "Oh, one more thing. There should be a soldier waiting for you outside the barracks down on the second level. With rations and water to take along."

With that, following the Inspector, the Guild Fighters were on their way.

~O~


	10. Chapter 10

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 10

Sundas the 30th of Frostfall 4E50 Afternoon

Before leaving the White-Gold Tower, the Guild Fighters collected those supplies from the soldier who had been waiting for them near the rampart down to the entry level of the structure. As reasonably expected those provisions were nothing special. Presumably, those packages were what passed for daily ration packs for Legion soldiers. Just small satchels with dried rations and small water skins.

Upon leaving the Imperial Tower, Inspector Baywater took the lead. It was fair to assume that his authority would serve to provide clear and unchallenged passage to their immediate destination. At least, in as far any authority would be required to expedite passage.

The walk from the tower exit around to the gate leading into the Arboretum District had proved only slightly obstructed. Even that was only due to the persistent volume of citizens within the Central District. It seemed that the assassination attempts had only slightly diminished the enthusiasm of festival-goers under the afternoon sun. Even so, the view from the elevated walkway surrounding the base of the Imperial Tower indicated that it was somewhat less crowded than earlier. Still fairly crowded, but hardly impassible.

The sounds of varied music could still be heard reflecting from the stone walls and it looked like another theatrical performance was taking place in the southern part of the district. It also seemed that the ale-stands and the like were still doing brisk business. That circumstance was highlighted by a rowdy group of men involved in what seemed to be a noisy belching contest.

Nearing the steps down to the south-east pathway, leading to the Arboretum District, Forester stumbled slightly, looking twice at something he saw. He'd thought that he'd just spotted two motley coloured Guar with small children riding upon their backs. At second glance, it was more obvious that they weren't actually those two-legged reptilian pack animals more common to parts of Morrowind and Argonia. Of course, such creatures generally were not permitted within the city walls. They were merely people dressed up in costumes. That second glance was enough to see that the main body part of those outfits seemed rather crude, but the large headpieces of the 'Guar' seemed more elaborately fashioned.

Negotiating the pathway toward the south-eastern gateway, shifting her shield back and forth from one arm to the other, Monika fussed with the upper parts of her leather armour, attempting to loosen and adjust some of the straps in certain places.

Alex noted what she was doing. "Is your armour too tight?"

She wrinkled her nose, managing a somewhat restricted shrug. "Not really. Maybe a bit. It's big enough, but a bit stiff. Not enough give in it."

"These shields are a bit heavier than our own."

"Yeah, a bit. We'll manage."

As Baywater led them through the south-eastern gates into the Arboretum District, Ras'Dar had taken careful note of the southern sky. Though the skies directly overhead remained relatively clear and blue, the view toward the south had shifted over the past hour or so. It appeared that some billowy clouds had rolled in from the southern Niben. It was not immediately obvious whether there might be rain behind those clouds.

The Khajiit expressed his concern. "Change in weather could be coming, yes?"

Rena responded first. "Don't think it's looking like rain."

Forester added a comment. "In any case, I don't expect there will be a lot of weather where we're headed."

Monika countered. "Ain't that simple."

Alex knew what she was suggesting. "I think Ras'Dar was saying that heavy rain could mean trouble for us."

Ras'Dar nodded grimly. "Water goes down. Sewers are down."

Aside from speaking briefly with the guards by the south-eastern gate, Baywater had refrained from speaking up until that point. "The sewer system is large enough that it would require a great deal of heavy rain to cause us any real trouble."

None of the Guild Fighters provided any argument as they followed the path through the gardens of the Arboretum District. The stone monuments representing each of the Nine Divines were positioned in a broad circle with the statue of Talos at the centre. Heading directly for their destination, the group of six passed near to only two of the monuments. Beyond the stone statue representing Julianos, the Divine God of Wisdom and Logic, the statue of Stendarr was nearest to the entrance down into the sewers.

On that day, the circle of Legion soldiers highlighted the exact position of the easily overlooked access to the sewers. In a brusque fashion, Baywater proceeded to negotiate clear access past the line of gathered Legionnaires.

Within that guarded circle, in the shade of some taller trees, the iron access cover remained upon the green grass, leaving the well down to the sewers exposed. As Inspector Baywater sought the ranking officer in charge, two Imperial soldiers crawled up and out from the exposed cavity onto the grass.

A Legionnaire of some advanced years firstly checked with those two other soldiers, then turned about to speak with Blackwater. Curt introductions were exchanged. The Colovian Legion Captain continued. "Right then, that's the last of my people up from below. Since we couldn't find that Wood-Elf, I started pulling them back, once I got word that the Palace was sending a special team down there. That you lot, then? Penitus Oculatus?"

Baywater's bland expression hardly shifted at all. "I'm only here to assist the Fighters Guild team. They'll be leading the search down below."

Glancing toward the others, the Legion Captain's weary eyes narrowed just slightly, before he shrugged just as slightly. "All the same to me. We'll be keeping guard over the access points to the sewers. Just like we've been told."

Baywater's reaction remained reserved. "Of course."

The Captain's aspect shifted. "Hey, I heard that the Prince was okay, but I also heard there was trouble at the Arena. You heard any word on the Emperor?"

The Penitus Oculatus Agent hesitated only slightly. "As I understand it, The Emperor is unharmed and safe."

With a short sigh, the Captain nodded. "Good to hear."

Baywater's unmoving expression indicated that he had nothing more to say on that matter.

The Legion Captain gestured to one of his people and took possession of a couple of lanterns. "Here, I reckon you're gonna need these down there. Some torches and lamps have been set along the walls in the first part, but I expect you'll be needing these lanterns further on in."

Baywater accepted the lanterns. He passed them directly to Forester, who kept hold of one and passed the second one back to his wife.

The Captain spoke again. "Look, we didn't catch any sign of that Wood-Elf assassin down there or anyone else like that, but there's lotsa mud-crabs and rats. Some of 'em are real big. Could be other things down there too. Just thought it oughta be said."

"Understood." Baywater's tone seemed dismissive.

After clearing his throat, Forester responded more graciously. "Thank you for your assistance, Captain."

Looking to Forester, the Legion Captain returned a nod. "Well, good luck to you. Be careful down there."

Forester thanked the Captain again, then accepted a third lantern passed his way, which he then passed on to arrive in Alex's hands.

Baywater stepped aside to allow the Guild Fighters to go ahead. They lined up near the open sewer access. Since he was going to be taking the lead anyway, Ras'Dar was the first to descend the metal ladder down into the tunnels below.

* * *

After climbing down the ladder fixed to the stone wall of the tunnel, the Guild Fighters found themselves standing upon a stone platform elevated above the lower sewers. A pool of light illuminated the immediate area. Only a small amount of daylight drifted down from the opening above. Adding to the light from those three lanterns they'd brought with them, the flickering flames of the torches fixed to the braces along the wall provided much of the ambient light. A few more torches had been set just down below.

Baywater was the last one down from above. Though it had already been implied in some of what had been said before, the Inspector advised that he would remain at the rear of the group.

In response to Baywater's notification, without going into the fairly obvious reasons, Monika recommended that Alex pass the lantern back to the Inspector.

Alex handed the lantern to him, then glanced at the burning torch on the wall.

Monika pre-empted whatever he might have been thinking. "Leave that." She unholstered her mace and shifted the position of her shield.

Alex took that as a prompt to do the same with his blade and shield.

Rena added a relevant comment. "We probably don't want any exposed flame in certain parts. Could be gases."

Forester recognised something of an inference in her comment. He cleared his throat. "Well, yes I'm quite aware of that. I do know spells that don't involve fire, if the need arises." He held out his lantern over out the edge of the stone platform.

Alex looked down. The drop down to the stone below seemed near to that of the height typical single-level house, or perhaps a little more. He shifted his gaze upward. The ceiling of that sewer chamber seemed high enough that a two or three level structure might almost fit inside. He gave voice to his fairly self-evident thoughts. "This is much larger than the sewers beneath Chorrol. Those maps did not really…"

Monika cut him off. "We oughta get moving."

Ras'Dar had remained quiet since settling near the top of the stone staircase leading down to a floor below. He'd been crouching and seemingly staring off toward that moderately sized tunnel passage at the northern end of the chamber.

Forester sought the Khajiit's attention. "Tell me, anything of note?"

Ras'Dar shook his head just slightly. "This one almost choking from terrible smells in this place, but nothing of scent of the Bosmer. Scent of jagga not easy to find here."

Rena spoke again. "We know he came this way."

Ras'Dar nodded solemnly. He pointed toward the opening of the passageway down below. "Only one way for Bosmer to go. No other way to go. No place to hide." He waved his hand outward to indicate the other parts of the chamber.

Of course, Ras'Dar was right about that. The soldiers had already been through there and there was just enough light to see that the large chamber was no more than an empty space, but for that raised platform and the stone staircase.

Part way up the walls of the large space, lesser outlets dripped a trickling of slimy ooze, which glistened in the flickering torchlight. Some of those outlets were no more than narrow pipes set into the stonework. Others appeared a bit larger, but barely sizeable enough for anything bigger than a large sewer rat. Aside from the way that they came in, that tunnel passage ahead was the only passable exit from that chamber.

Prompted by Forester, Ras'Dar held his sword at the ready and took the lead, descending the stone staircase toward that tunnel leading away to other parts of the sewer system.

Drawing his longer blade, Forester held out the lantern as he followed. Of course, that was more for his own benefit. The Khajiit could see well enough in low lighting. Only a complete absence of light might give him some trouble.

Rena fixed her lantern so that it hooked to the top of her shield then drew her blade from its sheath. Following her husband, she called back to those behind her. "Watch these steps. Seem dry enough, but a bit narrow."

Monika and Alex followed behind. Along with the torches set upon the walls, the light cast from the lanterns ahead and the third carried by Baywater seemed perfectly adequate.

Without passing comment, Alex thought it odd to find that the stone floor below seemed far too dry and dusty for a sewer beneath the city. That was further contrast from the cramped sewers beneath Chorrol. He noticed the relatively narrow groove up the middle of the floor of that large chamber. It was no more a hand's span in width. The passing light briefly dispelled the shadow enough for him to see the slimy liquid in the groove. Though it didn't seem to be moving, it was evidently part of a drain to lower parts of the sewer system.

The tunnel leading away from the larger chamber appeared designed specifically for maintenance access rather than serving any other function. The stone-lined passage curved away to the right in an arc. Even the tallest Altmer with a high elven helmet would hold no concern over the height of the tunnel's ceiling. The passage seemed almost wide enough for two abreast, yet not quite. Either way, the procession remained single-filed, with Ras'Dar at the lead and Baywater at the rear.

Beyond that first curve in the tunnel, it straightened out, leading directly to the next section of the sewer system. The light from the lanterns illuminated the dark mould clinging to the stonework. Small bugs scurried away at their approach. Though it might have seemed otherwise as they shuffled along, the passage ahead was not all that long. Perhaps no more than thirty paces or so, at the most. At the far end, an open metal gate rested against the right-hand wall. Rather than complete darkness ahead, dim light seemed to emanate from the next large chamber.

Just short of the ending of that tunnel, Ras'Dar slowed, then paused to listen.

For those not Khajiit, the sounds of dripping noises and many faint echoes were the only things to be heard. The others understood that Ras'Dar's keen senses might have detected something beyond the range of their own.

After a lengthy moment, Forester whispered. "Anything?"

Ras'Dar's feline ears twitched once more before he finally responded. "Not so easy to say. Many echoes. Far off sounds of movement in water. Not moving closer. Not moving away."

Forester gestured toward what lay ahead. With the procession following behind him, Ras'Dar edged forward into that second large chamber.

Beyond the end of the tunnel, a stone walkway crossed over the shadowed space below to another stone platform over the other side. Similar to the previous chamber, a stone staircase led down to the lower surface.

There were no torches or lamps set in that second chamber. The source of the dim illumination came from above. In the stonework of the ceiling overhead, two round metal grills allowed sunlight to filter down from above.

Having been only slightly turned about from where they'd entered the sewers, it still seemed difficult to readily place where those grills were situated above. They might have been close to the wall separating the Arboretum District from the Arena District or perhaps one positioned on either side. Either way, nobody present discussed the matter.

Following Ras'Dar, the party crossed the narrow walkway to the stone platform, then descended the staircase down to the floor below. Though that stone surface below appeared visibly damp, it wasn't exactly wet. It appeared as though waters had been through there recently, but since drained away almost completely. There seemed to be only slightly more signs of moisture about the drains and grills set into the stonework of the floor.

Without mentioning exactly how long he'd been aware of it, Ras'Dar pointed to the dark lump in the shadows of the nearest corner. Forester held out his lantern, then observed the dead sewer rat. Detecting the movement, more bugs scurried away from the light. The dead rat was easily the size of a small dog. The pool of blood about the carcass made it seem like a fresh kill.

Crouching down, the Khajiit examined it only briefly. "Rat killed only today. Killed by Bosmer or Legion soldiers? Cannot say. Only that rat killed by blade."

Holding out her shield with the attached lantern to provide better lighting, Rena looked over Ras'Dar's shoulder. "Doesn't really matter, does it?"

Ras'Dar shrugged awkwardly in his heavy armour. "Does not tell much. Only that someone has been here with bladed weapon."

Baywater stood apart from the others, saying nothing.

Alex looked back to the space behind them, beneath the walkway that they'd just crossed. There was enough light to see some wooden debris that had somehow found its way down there. He could also see the slimy ooze in the channel in the floor, slowly draining away through the metal grill in the centre of the chamber. There was nothing really of note to see.

Fidgeting with her armour again, Monika pointed to the open tunnel on the left-hand side of the chamber. "According to those maps we looked at, this is the only way out of here."

The nearby entry to the tunnel was fitted with a metal sluice door. That door had been raised up high enough to allow easy passage.

Holding up his lantern, Forester looked to the metal wheel set into a recess in the opposite wall, noting the odorous grease dripping from the connected chains. He tested the free movement of the wheel. "I'd say that this drives the mechanism to open and close that sluice door. It seems to me that it has been utilised recently."

Monika responded. "Dunno if it's normally meant to be open or closed, but I'd say that Bosmer had to have gone through that way."

Of course, there was no arguing with her logic.

Forester settled with the obvious response. "I expect that we should continue onward." He pointed in the direction of the open tunnel.

Ras'Dar took that as a prompt to once again take the lead. Each of the others lined up in the previous formation to pass through the dark tunnel.

As well as being narrower than the previous tunnel, the passageway had a much lower ceiling. Though it was no problem for Ras'Dar, Monika needed to lower her head to avoid making contact with the stonework. Even the others ducked slightly, though it was probably just high enough for most of them to pass with care.

Beyond the end of the tunnel, there was a dim light source. It seemed notably less than what was behind them, but an indication that the next chamber was not completely dark.

Just as he exited the far end of the passageway, Ras'Dar stopped suddenly and crouched. Forester almost ran into him.

The others had all pulled up behind Forester, wondering what was wrong, but remaining cautiously silent.

Forester tried to peer over the Khajiit to see what had alarmed him, but could not quite see what it might be. There was a dark outlet in the stone wall directly ahead. It was another one of those smaller pipes that were too small for anyone to reasonably pass. A trickle of slime dripped down from the piping into the drain below. His lantern added to the dim light reflecting off the surface of the dirty water in the canal. He could see what looked to be an open sluice gate just off to the left. He remained quiet for a lengthy moment, before finally speaking in whispered tone.

"What is it?"

Ras'Dar allowed another pause to pass before responding. "Only mud-crabs."

The Khajiit shifted off to one side to allow for clear passage.

Forester moved forward into the adjacent chamber, also moving aside to allow the others to come through. Maintaining due caution, Rena, Monika and Alex stepped through into that new space. Baywater remained just inside the end of the tunnel.

That new chamber was neither as wide nor tall as the previous ones, but it was much longer. A shallow canal ran up the middle, disappearing from clear view in either direction. In both cases, low clearance tunnels down in the canal separated that chamber from lay beyond in each direction. A low-set stone bridge crossed over the canal near the middle of the length of the chamber. Another metal grill set into the ceiling allowed some dim sunlight to filter down from above. That grill was rectangular in shape and it appeared notably smaller than the other ones, casting far less light than fell into the previous large chamber.

The strong smell of filthy water and waste assaulted the senses. From the sour expression on Ras'Dar's face, it seemed evident that he was more adversely affected than his companions.

Pointing with his blade, the Khajiit directed attention toward what he'd detected. Just beyond the low stone bridge, three large mud-crabs shifted in the shallow canal. The creatures picked at the carcass of another large sewer rat with their huge claws. One crab seemed nearly as large as the dead rat. The other two were only slightly smaller. So far, even if they'd become aware of the presence of intruders, the crabs remained far more interested in the meal.

It appeared that the metal sluices set into the tunnels of either end of that section were open in both directions. On the opposite side from where they'd just come in, another mechanism with a large metal wheel and chains was set into the wall of the chamber.

In a subdued tone, Rena spoke. "We gonna have to deal with these crabs?"

Monika responded mildly. "Only if we have to. They leave us alone, might as well leave them alone."

Alex eyed the rustling mud crabs. "Which way should we head?"

Rena's tone expressed her distaste. "Either way means getting down into the muck."

Forester cleared his throat. "Just a moment." Setting his lantern down, he withdrew a rolled map from his satchel. As soon as he unfurled it, he realised that it was not the one he wanted. He quickly rolled it back up and selected another one. It seemed that the second selection was the correct one. After just a brief glance, he made a sound indicating that he'd learned what he wanted to know.

"That tunnel off to the left certainly leads to the sewer system located beneath the Arena District. The tunnel to the right must pass under the Arcane University, leading away to the outlet into Lake Rumare."

Rena added a comment. "That should be guarded, right now."

Forester nodded. "Yes, I believe so. If that Bosmer headed off in that direction, he would have learned that his escape route was blocked."

Rena countered. "Unless he got there before the soldiers got down there."

Forester tilted his head. "Of course that's possible."

Monika had another thing to add. "Isn't there another tunnel into the area beneath the Bloodworks, between here and the outlet?"

Forester nodded. "Yes, that's what the map indicates."

Monika released a sigh of resignation. "We're gonna have to check that out. The outlet to the lake as well."

Alex looked toward the tunnel in the opposite direction. "What about this other way?"

Monika looked annoyed. "Gonna have to check both ways."

Inspector Baywater broke his silence. "I'd suggest splitting up, if only temporarily."

Monika looked even more annoyed.

Forester quickly spoke up before she had the opportunity to respond to the Inspector's suggestion. "What do you propose?"

Maintaining a neutral expression, Baywater continued. "It should really only require two of us to go check the south-east outlet. Just the Khajiit and myself would suffice. The Khajiit can determine if anyone has passed through that area, and if we need to go that far, I can speak with the soldiers guarding the outlet, without causing any alarm. At the same time, the rest of you could go check the next section in the other direction. We could all meet up back here, or in that next section."

Forester seemed to briefly ponder the variables. He might have been weighing the likelihood of that Bosmer assassin even being anywhere near the south-eastern outlet, or the possibility that he might not be alone.

Rena expressed her uncertainty. "Dunno if we should be splitting up."

"Me neither." Monika's dark tone reflected her sullen expression.

Alex had crouched down on the walkway, trying to see how far he could see along the canal in either direction. He couldn't really see all that far. "If the assassin was on his own, any two of us could probably handle it."

Ras'Dar spoke up. "This one cannot sense any Bosmer nearby. Only mud-crabs. If Bosmer in this place, must be very still and very quiet."

Rena seemed to shift her opinion. "Well, if we gotta go check in both directions…"

Without actually looking at it, Forester held up the map in his hand. "Aside from those gates into the adjacent section of the sewer, this part is just a long series of chambers, running from a blind end at the north down to the outlet by the lake.

Monika voiced her concern. "Unless we're all together at full strength, we don't wanna go heading into that next part of the sewer, the part under the Bloodworks."

Forester nodded. "Yes, I agree."

Baywater tried to maintain a reassuring tone of voice. "Other than checking that other gate along the way, we should do no more than scout as far as the south-east outlet, then return to regroup. Unless of course we encounter that Bosmer along the way."

Forester glanced to Monika with a tentative expression. Though she didn't appear enthusiastic, she offered no direct protest. Without giving voice to it, Forester was thinking it was more likely that the assassin was somewhere deeper inside the sewers, rather than anywhere near that exit. He settled with a nod. "Very well. Try not to be too long. Otherwise, we may come to look for you."

"Understood." The Inspector returned a curt nod.

Though largely unnecessary, Forester clarified. "The rest of us will investigate this section to the north. If we find nothing, we'll return to this position and await your return."

Baywater returned another nod of acknowledgment, then looked to Ras'Dar. Without any further delay, the agent and the Khajiit headed off along the walkway, cautiously moving past the feasting crabs.

~O~


	11. Chapter 11

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 11

Sundas the 30th of Frostfall 4E50 Mid Afternoon

The four Guild Fighters watched as Ras'Dar and Baywater moved away in that generally southerly direction along the stone walkway just above the sewer canal. The three large mud-crabs down in the canal stirred in an agitated manner as they passed by, but didn't turn away from the rat carcass they were feasting upon.

Reaching the far end of the long chamber, with weapons at the ready, the pair carefully dropped down into the shallow canal. Though the diminutive Suthay Khajiit had no such concern, the Inspector needed to duck his head down slightly as they as they passed through the low clearance tunnel into the next sewer chamber.

After just a few moments, the light from Baywater's lantern began to fade as they ventured deeper into that next section. Since no unexpected noises disturbed those ambient dripping noises echoing softly through the sewers, it was reasonable to presume that nothing or no one had caused any immediate alarm.

Forester turned about to consider that other canal tunnel to the north. He cleared his throat in a noisy fashion, disturbing the relative silence. "Well, I expect that we should set about examining this section of the sewer."

Gesturing with her mace, Monika voiced her agreement. "Yeah, you should lead."

Forester held out his lantern, peering toward the entrance of the tunnel. Doing his best to try to ignore the unpleasant odours, he gingerly stepped down from the walkway into the canal, taking care not to lose his footing. The filthy water was only deep enough to come up just short of the top of his boots. The initial buoyancy of his mithril boots soon diminished as he learned that they were not quite as waterproof as he might have hoped. He released a huffy sigh of exasperation as the cold liquid seeped into his boots.

Steadying herself with her sword arm, Rena followed behind her husband. Monika and Alex then lowered themselves into the canal, intending to remain at the rear. There was no need to mention that it made better sense to have both lanterns near the front, since they all understood that there was little need to worry too much about anything behind them.

As Forester paused just short of the tunnel entrance, Rena passed a comment in a sardonic tone. "Well, seems like we're all in the shit now."

Though no one responded directly, Forester was certainly reconsidering the value of having worn his own armour into the city that day. Each of the others were equipped with apparel from that armoury. Equipment that they would gladly dispose of once they were done with the task at hand. Forester was already thinking of the difficulty he would face in trying to get the terrible smell out of his boots.

Edging forward into the low clearance tunnel, Forester spoke quietly. "Be careful of this chain and watch your footing. There is a ridge down below. The top of a sluice door, I should imagine."

The chain running vertically from the stonework above the tunnel and down into the water was obvious enough. It was coated in some sort of smelly grease and presumably attached to the top of that sluice door that he spoke of.

After awkwardly shuffling past the greasy chain with his head ducked low, Forester moved slowly along the tunnel, holding his lantern out in one hand and his blade in the other.

Rena didn't need to duck her head quite as much, but she appeared just as awkward as she slipped past the greasy chain. With her own lantern still fixed to the top of her shield and her blade in her right hand, she followed along behind, taking great care not to slip or stumble.

Monika and Alex moved along just as cautiously, with their shields and weapons at the ready. Despite the caution of their motion, the sounds they were making as they moved along the canal fully displaced those other ambient sounds of the otherwise relative silence.

Soon enough, Forester was edging pass the second chain at the far end of the tunnel, making the others aware of the same circumstances as the first end. He stepped over the ridge of the metal door into the chamber beyond.

After shuffling clear of the end of the low clearance tunnel, Forester paused to wait for the others. Thus far, nothing had leapt out from the distant shadows to challenge their progress. Nonetheless, that didn't necessarily mean that there was nothing or no one in there.

With no metal grills in the ceiling overhead, that section of the sewers appears much darker than what they'd left behind. The light cast from those two lanterns did only so much to illuminate the volume of the sewer chamber. According to the map, that section had to be at least twice the length of previous section and much of that space remained in shadow.

Despite being much longer, at first glance it seemed that the general layout and appearance of the chamber differed little from that of the last one. A darkened drainage pipe set into the wall on the left-hand side dripped a stream of ooze into the drain below, which ran down into the canal. A broken human skull with a detached jaw sat in that drain. It had obviously been there a long time, remaining untouched by anyone who might have passed that way.

Just up ahead on the right-hand side, a set of stone steps rose up from the water to another low bridge crossing over the canal, connecting those walkways that ran along either side. The bridge seemed effectively identical to the one in the previous chamber.

Forester silently gestured toward the stone steps. Though he said nothing, getting up and out of that canal was high on his list of immediate priorities. It wouldn't do much to improve the condition of his boots, but getting out of the canal would permit them to move more quietly.

Just short of the steps, Forester stumbled slightly. He managed to avoid slipping and falling over. He advised the others of some debris in the water. He didn't know exactly what it was, only that it was something hard that moved when he kicked it. He wouldn't have been surprised to learn that it was something related to that old skull over the other side of the canal.

After Forester, one by one they trudged up the stone steps onto the right-hand side walkway. The light cast from the two lanterns seemed just enough to provide the impression of a relatively clear view into the darkness. Of course, that also meant that anything lurking in the shadows could more easily observe their approach. Going only by the absence of telltale noises, it seemed that they were alone in that long chamber, but none of them were taking any of that for granted.

Just past the middle of that length of section, there was the tall access tunnel on the right that they were expecting to find. Aside from the small bugs, which scurried away at their approach, there was nothing to cause any immediate alarm. By lantern light, it was easy enough to see the metal gate about half way along. It had been left wide open and resting against the stone wall on the right hand side of the passage.

The outer length of that corridor seemed relatively wide, compared to the narrow section from the gate down to the end. About twenty odd paces from the main chamber, the tunnel terminated at a heavy metal door set into the stonework.

Forester and Alex momentarily held back by the outer end of the passageway keeping watch from the rear. With her weapons at the ready Monika took the lead. Rena followed behind with her lantern casting light from behind.

At the end of the passage, Monika found that the metal door had been left slightly ajar, with just barely a crack between door and frame. She gently tested the door on its hinges, wincing at the noise it made from almost no movement at all.

Monika held silently in place for a lengthy moment, listening for any other sounds from beyond. After another lengthy pause, she gestured to Rena, instructing her to back out of the passageway.

Monika didn't speak until rejoining the others outside the side-tunnel. She kept her voice low. "That's the way into the sewers beneath the Bloodworks. That door will move easy enough, but it'll make a lot of noise."

Rena voice her opinion. "That Bosmer woulda gone though there."

Monika responded. "Could've, or could've gone through the other one."

"Ras'Dar should be checking for that." Alex added his voice.

Forester weighed in. "Yes, I'd imagine that Ras'Dar should be able to determine if anyone had recently passed that way. I'd also expect that he might determine whether someone has recently utilised the outlet by the lake."

Monika spoke again. "Even if that assassin who came in the way we did, didn't go this way this afternoon, I reckon that those others who broke through into the Arena would've passed through here. That heavy door moved way too easily for something like that. Especially down here."

Forester nodded. "Yes, I expect so."

Monika resumed. "Either way, I think we oughta leave it for now. Check over the rest of this section, then go wait for those other two to get back."

Forester nodded again. "Agreed."

Leaving that connecting tunnel for the time being, the four Guild Fighters proceeded to cautiously check the remainder of that sewer chamber.

Of course, there were more of those smaller drainage outlets set into the walls at various places. Some dripped or oozed with waste and water. Some appeared completely dry.

Three-quarters of the way along that long chamber, there was second set of stone steps rising from the canal to the walkway. The only difference from the other steps was that there was no low set bridge across the canal at that point.

Just next to those steps, they found the remains of a huge mud-crab on the walkway by the wall. Its large claws had been separated from the body and the main shell was cracked wide open. Despite the other unpleasant odours, it was easy enough for even human noses to detect the distinct smell of crabmeat. The fact that it was not yet rancid indicated that it could not have been there all that long.

Right near the end of that section of the sewer, there were more old bones piled up on the walkway against the wall. They'd obviously been there for a long time. There were not enough bones to constitute a full skeleton. Only the broken skull informed them further. At some time in the past, the remains of a dead goblin had found their way to that place.

The partially submerged piping down in the canal evidently connected to other sewers feeding in from the north, but it was not anything that could be considered reasonably accessible by any human or elf.

Finding nothing else of interest or concern, the Guild Fighters checked that the door at the end of that tunnel remained undisturbed, then made their way quietly back to where they'd arranged to wait for those other two.

* * *

After the leaving the rest of the group, Baywater and Ras'Dar proceeded through that low clearance tunnel in the canal into the next section of sewer. At first glance, that chamber to the south seemed much like the previous section, only darker and perhaps a little longer.

Only the slushing noises from their cautious movement along the canal interrupted the echoes of dripping sounds in the chamber. Otherwise, it remained relatively quiet.

More darkened pipe outlets set into the walls trickled and oozed waste into the drains, then down into the canal. It was reasonable to presume that those pipes ran down from the Arcane University, situated somewhere up above their position. The only passable exits from that section of sewer were located further along in the darkness ahead.

Of course, Ras'Dar could see easily enough in the poor lighting, but Baywater needed to rely upon the pool of light provided by his lantern. For the most part, there wasn't anything of great concern to be seen. There didn't seem to be any more mud-crabs lurking in the canal or any other creatures that might trouble them. As far as the Khajiit could sense, there weren't any Bosmer assassins hiding in the shadows ahead. At least, not in the main space of that long chamber, though the larger access tunnels on either side remained a possibility.

Ahead of them, the two immediate points of interest were near the middle of the length of that sewer section. Another low-set stone bridge crossed over the canal. Just near that, the darkened access tunnel on the left would lead into the sewers beneath the Bloodworks.

Proceeding as quietly as possible, they approached that stone bridge. There was nothing lurking in the shadows behind it. Ras'Dar had taken note that the side tunnel also appeared clear. In the absence of any convenient steps rising up from the canal, they needed to clamber up onto the walkway in order to head for that first access tunnel.

At the end of the relatively short passageway, they found that the heavy metal door barring the way to the Bloodworks seemed rusted in place. Baywater suggested that they might be able to budge it with a great deal of force, but there seemed no point to that, since there was no sign that it had been recently opened.

Ras'Dar agreed with that easily enough, only adding that he could tell that someone had disturbed the dust in the tunnel before them, but had most likely not managed to actually use that door.

Leaving that dark tunnel behind, they returned directly to the stone bridge over the canal, crossing to the walkway on the other side. In relative silence, the pair continued on toward the far end of the long chamber.

The canal narrowed somewhat toward the end, with the stonework of the elevated walkways intruding from either side. The accessible length of the sewer ended with that canal feeding into a narrow grated tunnel. It was reasonable to assume that was part of the final run down toward the lake, possibly a filter of sorts before connecting to the main outlet, since nothing of any size or substance could pass through that grating. That point was highlighted by the presence of some wooden debris previously washed along to the end of canal.

At the end of the stone walkway, they found the skeletal remains of a sewer rat. It was nothing recent and it had been picked clean, quite possibly by mud-crabs. There was nothing else of note to see. Certainly nothing to indicate anything relating to those Bosmer assassins.

That second dark access tunnel located just short of the ending of that chamber was the last thing to examine in that section. Of course, Ras'Dar had already glanced down that passageway as they passed, without expressing any alarm or concern.

The straight tunnel continued roughly westward for perhaps thirty paces or so before connecting to another chamber. A pool of dim light partially illuminated that side chamber. The horizontal space appeared relatively small in area, but tall walls rose up quite some distance to a ceiling far above. The daylight intruded upon the darkness via a round grating set into that stonework above.

Set relatively high in two of the tall walls, large pipe outlets dripped waste down into the drains set into the stone floor below. Those drains were filtered by a metal grating set into the floor. Presumably, the drain below also fed into the main outlet further along.

The entry to that larger outlet tunnel was set into the southern wall of that chamber. It sloped downward on its way toward the lake. The tunnel was rounded with a flattened bottom and the height of its ceiling seemed enough for a tall Altmer to pass without needing to worry about the clearance.

The dim light coming from above did not reach far at all and the long curving distance of the round tunnel also obscured whatever daylight might have intruded from the far end.

Given that there was nothing else of note to be seen, Baywater prompted Ras'Dar to head into the main tunnel. The Khajiit paused only briefly to examine the muck on the floor at the start of the tunnel, then shook his head without offering comment and continued onward.

About thirty paces or so along the tunnel, they came to a metal gate. Like the metal bars at either side of the gate, it showed clear signs of its age. As might be reasonably expected, the corrosion seemed most apparent about the lower parts. Despite the adverse conditions, the metal still seemed fairly sturdy.

Ras'Dar tested the metal gate, finding that it opened and moved quite freely, indicating that it had been used regularly. He crouched down to examine the muddy sludge on the floor of the tunnel.

Baywater held the lantern in position, trying to provide better light. He waited a lengthy moment before speaking. "Anything to be seen?"

Ras'Dar made a sound something like the Khajiit version of a sigh. "This one thinks that tracks tell only of someone passing inward. Not outward. Not so fresh. Two or three days... or more. Hard to tell."

Baywater maintained an even tone. "So, no indication of someone leaving this way today. Anything else?"

Ras'Dar returned a curious glance, perhaps wondering if the Inspector had spotted more of what he was seeing. "Tracks not clear, but tell of more than one. Some, either very large or carrying something heavy. Hard to tell."

"Interesting."

Ras'Dar looked back to the Inspector again. "Bosmer not large or heavy. Not unless carrying great load."

"Perhaps the Bosmer assassins came in this way. In order to avoid any scrutiny at the city gates. Quite possibly, carrying supplies with them." Baywater looked off into the darkness, down toward the far end of the outlet tunnel. "The Legion soldiers should be down at the exit. If our quarry have not passed this way today, there's probably no point in alarming them."

Ras'Dar returned an expectant gaze.

The Inspector resumed. "It seems clear enough that the Bosmer will be found in the other direction. There's a good chance that he might have met up with those others that escaped from the Arena. We shouldn't waste any more time here. We should get back to the others and get to finding those assassins, before they get any further away."

Though he disliked taking direct instruction from the Penitus Oculatus Inspector, Ras'Dar held no argument with any of that. Saying nothing, he nodded his head to indicate his agreement.

Leaving the metal gate in the tunnel closed, they turned about and started to head back the way they'd just come.

~O~


	12. Chapter 12

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 12

Sundas the 30th of Frostfall 4E50 Late Afternoon

More than an hour had passed by since Ras'Dar and Baywater had gone off to check the southern section of that part of the sewers. During that time, the other four Guild Fighters had completed checking over the northern parts of the south-eastern sewers and had since been waiting for some time for those other two to return.

As they waited and rested, they sipped from their water flasks. However, given the pervasiveness of the unpleasant odours, no one had been tempted to consider what might be in those Legion rations packs they'd been provided with.

Alex had been sitting upon the low-set stone bridge over the canal, with his legs dangling over the side and facing toward the southern tunnel. His position made him appear relaxed, but his posture clearly indicated otherwise. He frequently turned his head to look back toward that other canal tunnel behind him. Near the southern tunnel, those two mud-crabs down in the canal continued picking away at the rat carcass. Provided that they were left alone, it didn't seem like they'd be easily distracted from that task. In passing, Alex had noticed that the dim light filtering down from the grating up above had diminished notably since they'd first come in there. He wasn't so sure of the hour, only that the afternoon had to be growing late.

Monika sat not far from him on his right. She'd positioned herself on the western steps of the low stone bridge, facing toward the access tunnel they'd firstly come through. There was no real reason to expect anyone to come along from that direction. However with no more than an easy turn of her head, her position afforded her clear view of all three tunnels leading into that chamber.

After standing about in soggy boots for a short time, Forester and Rena settled to sit on those steps of the eastern side of that stone bridge. Though nothing down there could be reasonably described as clean, the dry and dusty stones of that narrow bridge represented the nearest thing.

Once it became apparent that they might be waiting for a short while, Forester retrieved that map of the next section of the sewers from his satchel. He'd unfurled it to examine the details by lantern-light.

Adding the light of her own lantern, Rena also looked at the map. "That whole thing looks like a mess of short sections and connecting tunnels. Makes no sense."

With a slightly curious expression, Forester looked to her without speaking.

Alex didn't need to turn around to see what Rena meant. He recalled just enough of what he'd seen of that map to share her opinion. "The sewers beneath the Bloodworks do seem unnecessarily complicated. Since there is nothing in the Arena District… other than the Arena."

Monika added her thoughts. "From what I saw, I think the sewer waste from the Imperial Tower feeds into that as well. And since it also connects to the sewers beneath the Market District, there's probably some sort of set up so that it feeds half to the north and half to the south, or something like that."

Forester seemed to agree. "Yes, something like that, I should imagine." Though his frown indicated that he had trouble seeing exactly how that might work, from just looking at the map.

With a mild shrug, Rena wrinkled her nose. "Still seems like way more going on down below than what's up above."

Forester cleared his throat. "I seem to recall that the space within the Arena District once served a completely different purpose, during a previous era."

Rena returned a confused expression. "Huh? I thought the Arena had always been there. Well, for ages anyway."

Forester nodded earnestly. "Well yes, for ages. However, that was not always the case. The Imperial City is much older than that. Older than any of our human Empires. As I understand it, back before the first Imperial age, before the Alessian uprising, that part of the city had been utilised by the Ayleids to house the slave population. Essentially, anyone not of Aldmer blood."

Rena narrowed her eyes. "Never heard that before. The last part, I mean. About a 'slave district'."

Forester blinked in an animated manner. "I er… I believe that I read about it… somewhere. Or perhaps, I heard it from one of the scholars at the Arcane University. Back when I was with the Synod."

Monika spoke up again. "I never heard any of that before either, but that doesn't mean there's no truth to it. Makes some sorta sense."

Forester affected a slightly bewildered expression. It seemed as though he was uncertain whether his suggestions had just been supported or invalidated. In any case, it wasn't really all that important.

Rena returned to her first point. "Either way, it means we gotta go search for some sort of assassin through a dark maze with way too many places to hide."

Monika added a relevant concern. "Chances are, that Bosmer ain't alone by now."

Forester nodded. "Yes, agreed. If that assassin had plans to meet up with others…"

Alex interjected. "Treb said that three more escaped below the Arena."

Forester agreed. "Yes, so that makes four."

"That we know of. Could be more than that." Monika's tone matched the ominous nature of her suggestion."

Forester cleared his throat. "Yes, of course."

Rena sighed. "I s'pose there could be other things in there too."

Alex added a thought. "We did find that old goblin skull, back there."

Monika responded to that. "That's a bit less likely. Karl told us that they pretty much cleared them out from here, during the last big goblin cull."

Alex tried not to sound too argumentative. "That was about twenty years ago. Just last year, there seemed to be a lot of goblins in The Great Forest and other parts of the wilderness."

Forester cleared his throat again. "Yes well, I expect that there was far less restraint upon the goblins out in the wilderness. Finding the opportunity to gain access to the Imperial City sewers in any larger number… well, that might have proven more difficult."

Monika reinforced that. "Like I said, less likely."

Rena spoke again. "Yeah well, if not goblins, then we already know about sewer rats and mud-crabs down here, as well as those Bosmer assassins. I just hope there ain't any more unexpected surprises lurking in the dark."

Forester returned an apprehensive glance. "Yes, let us hope. In any case, we shall need to remain on guard." He held the map up again, so that it caught the lantern light.

With a little sigh, Rena also returned her attention to the map.

Monika continued casually shifting her glance between those three entry points to the chamber that they were currently in. Though she was evidently maintaining a vigilant aspect, she still seemed relatively relaxed.

Alex seemed to be having more trouble finding that balance. All that idle waiting about was beginning to wear upon his usual measure of patience. Looking over toward those two mud-crabs still feasting upon the carcass in the canal, his measure of agitation started to rise again. "Should we go looking for them?"

Monika's tone remained perfectly even. "Said we'd wait here."

Forester added his voice. "I don't expect they would have encountered any trouble that they could not handle. In fact, I doubt that any of those Bosmer would have gone that way without being turned back in this direction. Presumably, before we even managed to arrive down here. I expect that Ras'Dar and the Inspector will return soon enough."

Pointing toward the southern canal tunnel, Alex released a sharp breath. "There."

It almost seemed as though that last part of the discussion had magically summoned the desired result. The light from a lantern neared the far end of the tunnel in the next sewer chamber. Two figures could just be made out. The familiar outline of shorter Khajiit, with a slightly taller man behind.

Soon enough, both Ras'Dar and Baywater became even more easily recognisable as they emerged from the low clearance tunnel in the canal. In response to the slushing noises announcing the approach of intruders, those two mud-crabs stirred from their feast. However, the crabs remained only briefly interested. Once those other two had clambered up onto the walkway, the crabs quickly returned to picking away at the rat carcass.

Soon enough, with just some service to brevity, they were exchanging relevant details of what had been observed in either direction from their current location.

Baywater set down his lantern on the stone floor as he took some water from his flask. He remained purposefully quiet, allowing the Khajiit to report his findings without interruption.

No one seemed especially surprised to learn of what Ras'Dar had observed near the southern outlet tunnel. It merely supported reasonable supposition. A group of foreign Bosmer had most likely entered the sewers through that tunnel during the past few days, carrying supplies with them. At least some of them had made their way to a location beneath the Bloodworks.

With that other metal door rusted closed in the next chamber to the south, that merely reinforced the conclusion that the Bosmer assassins had passed though the open door to the north and were probably somewhere in those sewers below the Arena District, or perhaps even further beyond that.

Looking at one of the lanterns, a sudden thought occurred to Alex. "How long will these lanterns burn?"

"Long enough." Baywater spoke up as he produced two oilskins from his satchel. "I acquired these before coming down the ladder."

Monika glanced upward to what remained of the faded light filtering down from that grating above. "We oughta get moving. We don't wanna be down here all night."

Forester cleared his throat. "I suspect that this is the last opportunity for anyone needing to eat, drink or relieve themselves. Then we should ready ourselves to go into the section of sewers beneath the Bloodworks."

* * *

After only a few moments, the six members of the group were making their way through the canal tunnel into the northern section of that part of the sewers. They had formed up in the same order as earlier, with Ras'Dar and Forester at the lead and Rena just behind. That kept two of the lanterns near the front. Monika and Alex followed along behind. The Penitus Oculatus Inspector held to the rear, with the third lantern.

As reasonably anticipated from previous examination, that northern sewer chamber remained undisturbed and free of any immediate threat. The only sounds to disturb the relative silence came from their movement through the shallow waters of the canal.

Once clear of the tunnel, they made their way back up and out of the canal via the stone steps further along on the right-hand-side. That access tunnel on the same side appeared just they'd left it. The metal gate half way along the tunnel still rested against the stone wall of the tunnel. The heavy door down at the end remained undisturbed, with just a crack between the door and the frame.

Of course since it had already been discussed, everyone knew what to expect when that heavy door was opened to allow passage into the adjacent section of the sewers. Still, Ras'Dar cringed with his ears flattened back in response to the loud creaking and groaning noises as the metal door was swung upon its hinges.

Forester took hold of the heavy door, pushing it the remainder of the way to the wall, allowing the Khajiit to adopt defensive readiness and refocus his senses upon the space ahead.

From where he was positioned in the narrow access tunnel, Forester's lantern did little to illuminate the way ahead. Nevertheless, Ras'Dar could see clearly enough. The Khajiit paused for an extended moment. He appeared briefly apprehensive over something, but offered no comment. With obvious caution, he started moving forward.

Following slowly behind, Forester scowled over the squelching noises from his boots that accompanied each measured step that he took. Though it might have seemed otherwise to him, his footfalls were most likely no noisier than those of his comrades behind him.

Beyond the heavy door, the access tunnel extended for several paces, before opening up to a short recess in the side of the larger chamber ahead. Metal grills set into the stone floor creaked as they were stepped upon. Even if those sounds were not nearly as loud as the noise made from opening the tunnel door, it was still enough to further undermine any attempt to remain quiet and avoid announcing their approach.

Though the combined light from those two lanterns closest to the front dispelled the nearest shadows, the darker edges remained difficult to make out for all but Ras'Dar.

Shallow drains were set into the stone floor of the wider space ahead. The channels appeared to converge upon a small metal grill in the centre of the chamber. To both the left and right, dark passageways loomed at either side. The floors of those passages appeared recessed, forming connection with those narrow drains.

Up above in the centre of that space, there was a round outlet in the ceiling with a partially broken grill of rusted metal. Rather than any steady flow, droplets of liquid slowly dripped down into the drain below. The echoes of that slow dripping seemed to be only noises coming from ahead.

From Forester's earlier examination of that map, he recalled that the broad tunnel to the left was meant to come to an end not that far along in a lesser sized chamber. The passageway to the right continued onward deeper into the labyrinth of that section of the sewers.

Cautiously following Ras'Dar further into the chamber, everyone emerged from the access tunnel. Though Baywater continued to hold back to the rear, stopping only just inside the larger space. Nothing had yet presented as immediate threat, but all of those present remained on guard with weapons at the ready.

Though the combined light from the three lanterns illuminated much of the larger chamber, the passageways at either side remained in shadow. Ras'Dar had paused briefly to focus his attention in each of those directions. He appeared relatively satisfied of no immediate threat within his range of sense.

About the dim edges, the pool of light managed to provide some indication of what was on the floor immediately opposite from where they had just come in.

Forester raised his lantern a bit higher as he took a cautious step in that direction. He stopped just half a pace from the mess piled up by the far wall. Among the various objects of debris protruding from a sizeable mound of unpleasant smelling detritus, he spotted some old bones of varied kinds. He took greater interest in those bones than the rags, smaller pieces of wood, or metal spikes sticking up from the mound.

With no immediate danger evident, Rena shifted closer to her husband, adding her lantern light as she took up position on his left. Wrinkling her nose in distaste, she leaned in slightly to look more closely. She kept her voice down to little more than a whisper. "Just rubbish and old bones?"

Forester nodded. He kept his voice just as low. "Yes. Mostly human or elven, I should think. From the look of it."

Ras'Dar shifted a little closer to what they were examining. He stood to the right of the other two, crouching slightly. He pointed down to something with his sword. "This bone from Khajiit."

With the tip of her boot, Rena poked at the top of a skull sticking partway out of the mess. It didn't move at all. She noted that the mound of detritus seemed more solid than expected. "This looks Argonian to me." The broken crown of bony spikes on the top made that fairly obvious. There seemed no need for anyone to confirm her opinion.

Still keeping his tone low, Forester passed another comment. "I'd say that most of this has been here for quite a long time."

Ras'Dar used his sword to poke at a pale rib protruding from the mound. "Most old, but not all. Some not so old, but picked clean."

Monika had been only partly paying attention to the specifics of the subdued exchange. She'd been more interested in keeping watch over the darkened passageway on the right, leading away deeper into the sewers beneath the Arena District.

Alex had been splitting his focus between trying to follow what Forester and the others were saying, that passage that Monika was watching and that other darkened passage over on the northern side of the chamber.

Holding his lantern out toward the centre of the chamber, Baywater continued to hold back not far from the access tunnel, remaining outwardly vigilant and silently observing the surroundings and each of the others of the party.

Shifting around to the left side of the mound to examine a rusted chain fixed to the wall, Rena released a sharp breath. She pointed to a shadow between the main pile of detritus and the wall. It was nearer to where Ras'Dar was standing.

That part of the mound seemed a little taller, due to the partly covered remnants of a broken wooden crate and the metal support ring from a typical sized wooden barrel. Four long metal spikes were sticking up from the shadow near the wall.

Forester held both his blade and his lantern nearer as Ras'Dar leaned forward to examine what Rena had pointed out. The Khajiit gained the best view, but both Forester and Rena could see well enough from both lanterns casting light behind the bulk of the mound. A headless carcass was jammed in up against the stone wall and it appeared to be impaled upon the iron spikes.

With his ears flattened back and a sour look on his face, Ras'Dar appeared to sniff the air, though he seemed reluctant to lean in any closer. "Scent does not seem right."

Even without the superior senses of a Khajiit, Forester could understand what he meant. Though the corpse looked rotted, the smell coming from it did not seem nearly as rancid as expected. He gave voice to his thoughts. "I'd imagine that it's been preserved by alchemical process and magic. The work of a necromancer."

Rena's expression conveyed her confusion. "Do necromancers usually do that?"

Forester looked to his wife. He understood the nature of her question. "Well, I don't expect that a necromancer is responsible for its current condition. Neutralised and spiked with iron. I'd expect that someone else did that."

Without shifting her primary attention from the darkened passage to the south, Monika broke her silence. "Been like that for long?"

Forester shrugged and leaned forward for another look. He looked to Ras'Dar, who seemed to have nothing insightful to offer. "Well, I don't think we can really tell."

Rena spoke again. "It is dead, isn't it? I mean… you know what I mean."

Forester tapped part of the carcass with his blade to confirm what he already firmly believed. "Yes, quite inert."

Both Alex and Baywater had been paying attention to the exchange, but neither spoke or shifted from their respective positions.

Monika spoke up again. "If it's nothing important, then we oughta get moving."

Rena took a step back from the mound, glancing to each of the passages leading away from the chamber, then returning her gaze toward the passageway that Monika was watching over. "Do we need to take a look at that map again? It looked like a real maze in that direction."

Forester shook his head slightly. "No, I don't think so. I believe that I recall enough of it. The first part of it, at the least."

Without speaking, Alex pointed his sword toward the dark passage on the left.

Forester responded to the implied question. "Beyond that access tunnel, the chamber beyond is a dead end. There might be smaller pipes feeding into it, but no way to proceed any further. At least, that's what the map indicates."

Stepping clear of the mound, Ras'Dar turned toward the passage that Monika was watching over, then paused, turning his head abruptly in the opposite direction.

Forester looked to the Khajiit with concern. He tried to keep his voice as quiet as possible. "Noise?"

Ras'Dar shook his head, waiting a lengthy moment before speaking. "No noises. This one smells blood. Fresh blood."

"How?" Rena wrinkled her nose, wondering how he could smell anything like that with all the other terrible odours about.

Forester trusted the Khajiit's senses without question. He said nothing, but his raised eyebrows prompted further clarification.

Ras'Dar seemed to sniff the air again before responding. He pointed toward that dark passageway in the northern side of the chamber. "Could be human blood or even Bosmer blood. Hard to tell."

Monika listened closely, but kept her focus directed toward the other darkened passageway that she'd been watching. Remaining still and silent, everyone else split their attention between the northern passage and watching the Khajiit for further cues.

It seemed that Ras'Dar had nothing more to add.

Looking to Forester, Rena whispered. "Can't you use a detection spell or something?"

With an abbreviated sigh, Forester nodded. After sheathing his blade and setting down the lantern, he closed his eyes and composed himself, mouthing the words of a spell that he'd evidently not thought to prepare before that moment. The others watched on as he held his hands out in the direction of the darkened passageway. Without opening his eyes, he frowned and uttered a second spell, seemingly pausing for a lengthy moment to consider the result.

In a whisper, Rena prompted. "Anything?"

Still frowning, Forester shook his head. "I'm not detecting anything alive… or anything else, for that matter."

Rena remained quiet, but with an expectant expression, she jerked her head in the direction of the northern passage.

Forester returned a silent nod. He picked up the lantern and unsheathed his blade once gain. Before moving, he glanced about to each of the others. No one offered any objection or additional considerations.

~O~


	13. Chapter 13

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 13

Sundas the 30th of Frostfall 4E50 Late Afternoon

Uncertain of exactly what to expect, the group prepared to enter the passageway to that short section to the north. Though Forester's spells had failed to detect anything living or undead in that next section, Ras'Dar's detection of the scent of fresh blood provided suitable cause for concern. They all understood that even if there was no one or nothing in there, there could still be some sort of mechanical or magical trap awaiting them. Such a thing could even be the reason behind the smell of fresh blood that the Khajiit had sensed. Of course, if there was enough blood for Ras'Dar to smell it from the adjacent sewer chamber, then there seemed good reason for wariness. In any case, no one needed to be reminded of the need to proceed with caution.

In order to maintain the previous order of motion, Ras'Dar shifted around Forester and Rena to take up the leading position. Of course since they were following his nose anyway, that was still the best place for him.

Stepping toward the passage entrance, the lantern light revealed that the tunnel itself was nothing out of the ordinary. The grimy walls on either side joined to a curved archway, forming a rounded ceiling. Further along, a small outlet set into the wall of the passage appeared relatively dry. A few bugs scurried away into that pipe outlet in response to the intruding light and movement. The broad and shallow drain in the floor ran up the centre. Given that the passageway was easily wide enough to pass two abreast, Forester and Rena formed up side-by-side just behind the Khajiit.

With his sword and shield at the ready, Alex moved forward quietly to follow along behind Forester. Monika hesitated for just a beat, glancing to Baywater.

The Inspector paused by the passage entrance. He kept his voice to a whisper. "I'll stand watch. Cover the rear."

Monika wasn't interested in discussing the matter any further. She merely returned a sharp nod and moved up beside Alex as they cautiously moved forward into the passageway.

With two lanterns lighting the way, the shadows immediately ahead were dispelled, revealing part of the next chamber. Though there was not enough of it to flow freely at that time, the trail of the damp sludge in the trench up the middle of the tunnel led to a large recessed metal grating in the floor. That particular feature appeared to take up most of the middle of that space.

Though he was clearly keeping a sharp eye out for anything of concern, it seemed that Ras'Dar had not observed anything to cause immediate alarm.

Once those three at the front were inside the larger chamber, more of it became illuminated. Another shallow trench fed into the floor grating from the far side. The drain disappeared into a small hole at the base of the stone wall. Up above and just beyond reasonable reach, a much larger pipe opening loomed directly over the grate in the floor. Aside from the absence of any metal grill, it appeared similar to the one in the previous chamber. It looked like it was meant feed waste directly downward, but like the metal grill below, the stone above seemed relatively dry.

At either side of the roughly rectangular space, a broad mix of debris littered the floor of the chamber near the walls. Alongside the low mounds of detritus at either side, there were more remnants of broken wooden crates and other assorted debris.

After shifting his gaze about the space of the chamber, Ras'Dar pointed over toward the pile of debris in the nearest corner on the right. At first glance, it seemed that he was pointing only at the remains of a broken wooden crate. However, the lantern light was enough for a leather boot to be seen. That boot was attached to a trousered leg protruding out from behind the old broken box.

Seemingly satisfied that there was nothing else of immediate concern or interest, the Khajiit made his way over to the broken crate, crouching down to examine what was behind it.

Ras'Dar spoke quietly, but loud enough to be heard. "Dead Bosmer."

Holding his lantern up, Forester shifted nearer, peering over his comrade to see. It was obvious enough that the corpse hadn't been there for all that long. At first glance, the gaping wound in the Bosmer's throat and the blood-soaked tunic seemed clear evidence of how he'd died, if not a clear indication of precisely who might have been responsible.

Rena whispered impatiently. "Is it the one we're looking for?"

Ras'Dar responded almost immediately. "Hard to tell. Slight scent of jagga. This one thinks he is one of Bosmer we hunt, if not same one."

The Khajiit paused to examine a small vial lying broken on the stone just next to the body. His ears flattened back as he took a cautious sniff at a shard of the glass, then dropped it back on the floor. "Poison. Terrible smelling poison like Ras'Dar found in Imperial kitchen."

As Ras'Dar spoke, Forester had enough time to look more closely at the body. The jagged nature of the wound and the ashen colouring of the dead Bosmer told him enough. Not that he could be certain, he didn't think that the Bosmer had the opportunity to ingest any of that poison, if that was its purpose. "I don't believe we're the only ones hunting down here."

Rena prompted him. "What do you see?"

"Exsanguination."

"What?" Rena sounded confused.

"Drained of blood." Forester spoke more plainly.

"Vampires." Monika's tone indicated her obvious contempt.

Rena echoed that sentiment. "I hate vampires."

Without shifting from his position, Alex glanced about the chamber for any obvious clue that might not have yet been noticed. He couldn't really see anything like that.

Moving only half a step backward, Monika turned her head as her eyes darted back toward the passageway. With lantern and blade in hand, Baywater was standing about half way along the tunnel with his back to the wall. Though he obviously couldn't see what Forester and Ras'Dar were looking at, his position afforded him a relatively clear view of the middle of that chamber, as well as that other one that they'd just left. It wasn't obvious whether he was able to clearly hear what was being said.

Following Monika's gaze, Alex also looked back toward that same passage. Given that they appeared to be alone in the chamber, he was concerned over what might be lurking in the other direction. "If a vampire was here not long ago, it might not be so far away."

Taking the others somewhat by surprise, Ras'Dar suddenly shifted with a start, standing up and moving away from the dead Bosmer, but keeping his back to the wall. Evidently alarmed by something, the exposed fur upon his neck bristled as he gripped his shield and blade tightly.

The other four remained in place, but the tension in each of their postures was perfectly evident. Though none of them could tell precisely what had alarmed the Khajiit, they were reacting directly to his state of heightened alert. Prepared to act, but with no clear indication of how or where to focus that action.

Ras'Dar's head shifted as his eyes flickered from side to side. His gaze darting about the apparently empty space of the chamber. Though he'd yet to determine precisely why, he seemed convinced of the presence of something at the edge of his senses.

Quietly muttering to himself, Forester gently set down the lantern atop the mound of debris. He kept his blade in his right hand.

Ras'Dar looked up to the darkened opening of the large drainage outlet in the ceiling of the chamber. The lantern light just barely caught the movement of the dust particles in the air before a subtle shimmer of something almost totally invisible seemed to appear over the metal grating in the floor.

Though he'd seemed distracted, Forester had been following the gaze of the Khajiit with close attention. Before anyone else had the opportunity to react or move, he unleashed a widely dispersed stream of glittering magicka into the space directly beneath the drainage pipe.

The shimmering effect above the metal grating intensified in reaction to Forester's paralysis spell and a slightly staggered shape took form. Though it might have once been a man of Imperial heritage, from its protruding fangs and decidedly inhuman features, it was clearly a vampire of some type.

It seemed apparent that Forester's spell had only limited affect upon the undead creature. It might have been somewhat staggered, but hardly paralysed.

Almost simultaneously, Ras'Dar and Rena lunged forward with their blades. At the same time, Monika managed to dodge around to the left-hand side, remaining clear of the other two. Forester was too far back to gain any clear access and any spell that he might unleash would be more likely to adversely affect his comrades. Similarly, Alex also needed to hold back, though he'd positioned himself so that he blocked direct access to the passageway, with his sword and shield raised in readiness.

Avoiding any attack from the vampire, Rena's first successful strike slashed through the creature's shirt, making contact with the torso beneath. Immediately after that, Ras'Dar's blade sliced into the vampire's left arm, almost severing the hand from wrist. Neither of those wounds were likely to do much to stop it, or even slow it down for very long.

As the vampire tried to dodge to one side, Monika's shield made contact, bouncing it back toward the other two. As it came toward her, Rena's blade pierced the creature's torso more directly, causing it to stumble slightly backward. As she withdrew her sword, Ras'Dar saw his opening. He had just enough clearance to bring down his blade in an angled arc without swinging too close to Rena's position. As his sword came down to meet the grating in the floor, the vampire's head came free from its neck, bouncing across the stone to arrive near the wall.

Everyone remained in place for a prolonged moment. Ras'Dar silently glanced up toward the dark opening of the outlet above. If there was anything to be seen, he had yet to speak of it.

Monika prompted. "Anything else?"

Without speaking, the Khajiit shook his head. Though his expression seemed to convey some measure of apprehensive uncertainty.

Turning away from the fallen carcass to look to her husband, Rena sounded suitably annoyed. "I thought you said nothing alive… or undead."

Blinking in an animated fashion, Forester appeared both confused and concerned. "I didn't detect anything. I don't understand it."

Alex turned away from the headless vampire to look back behind. Baywater had moved closer to the near end of the passageway, but remained just inside. He was still holding the lantern in one hand and his weapon in the other. Evidently, there was no opportunity for him do any more than watch from the rear. Accordingly, the Inspector remained silent as he kept his back to the wall, maintaining his split attention between both directions.

Forester stepped forward to kneel down and check the body of the vampire. It was dressed plainly in seemingly ordinary clothing, of the type that would hardly attract any undue attention in the city above on any given evening. Looking over the body and checking the pockets, he found nothing of special note. A coin-purse held less than twenty septims. It seemed that he was expecting to find something else, perhaps an enchanted object or the like.

As Forester stood back up, the exposed parts of the creature's flesh were just beginning to turn gray and flaky. Soon enough, it would begin to desiccate. In a few hours, it would likely be nothing more than ash and dust. He shook his head with a clearly frustrated expression. "I'm at a loss. I can only imagine that this vampire knew some sort or warding that I've not heard of before. Something capable of deflecting detection spells or otherwise masking its presence."

Setting aside the matter of how the creature had avoided detection, Monika voiced the only obvious conclusion from the circumstances. "Either way, it's a fair call that this vampire took out the Bosmer."

Forester cleared his throat. "Yes, I expect so."

Looking back to the corner, Rena shook her head. "Well, there goes our shot at taking that assassin alive. Since that bloodsucker got to him first."

Alex interjected. "There are still those others that escaped below the Arena. At least three that we know of."

Rena shrugged mildly. "If vampires don't get them first."

Monika spoke again. "If there's one, it's probably a fair call that there are other vampires down here somewhere."

Forester nodded. "Yes, I'd imagine that at any given time, there might be at least one or two vampires lurking somewhere beneath the city. It was just unfortunate that one crossed paths with our current activity. Still, I doubt that there was any specific connection between this vampire and the Bosmer assassin."

Monika responded evenly. "No, wouldn't think so. I'm thinking it was just a coincidence of sorts. The Bosmer was coming in, the vamp was coming out. It just saw a convenient feed."

Rena added her grim comment. "Its last feed."

Monika nodded. "Yeah."

Forester cleared his throat again, glancing about the chamber. "Well then, there's nothing else of significance to be learned here. I suppose that we should continue onward."

Monika nodded again. "Yeah, we'd better."

Rena chimed in. "And we'd better watch out for more vampires. Don't wanna end up like that Bosmer."

Forester collected his lantern from where he'd left it. "Of course. That goes without saying."

Alex expressed a concern. "I wish we had prepared for the likelihood of vampires." He was thinking of the types of weapons and poisons they might usually bring along for that purpose, if that was what they were expecting.

Monika tried to sound reassuring. "We'll manage. We've got numbers on our side."

Ras'Dar moved ahead back into the passageway, hardly taking any notice of Baywater. The Inspector had continued to remain silent throughout the exchange. Without saying anything, Forester raised his eyebrows, inviting Baywater's comment.

The Inspector returned a curt nod. "I'll continued to watch the rear."

* * *

Once they'd all cleared the passageway, returning to that previous chamber, the party formed up in the same order as before, with Ras'Dar in the lead and Baywater at the back.

Maintaining appropriate caution, they approached the dark passageway leading into the next chamber in that direction. Everyone understood that beyond that next chamber, navigating the interconnecting sections of the sewer would soon become far more complicated and potentially far more dangerous.

Like the passage back in the opposite direction, a shallow drainage channel ran along the centre of the tunnel floor, continuing along into the chamber ahead. The only immediately observable differences from the previous passage were the small metal grill set into the floor of the channel and remnants of rusted hinges fixed to the wall on the left. Presumably, there had been a metal gate fixed to the wall at some time in the past.

The space of that next section appeared twice the size of those ones they'd just left behind. Also unlike those previous chambers, the drainage channel ahead appeared to run directly up the centre, but bent around in a curve to the left and disappearing from view as it led away toward another connecting tunnel. That access tunnel to the next section was situated at the far end of the chamber on the left. Just ahead, two smaller outlets set low into the walls on side either also fed into that drain. High up above, there were two drainage outlets set directly above the drainage channel below.

After examining the open space directly ahead with notable apprehension, Ras'Dar peered upward into the darkness. Given what he'd just experienced, he paid special attention to those darkened outlets set into the ceiling. Though the lantern light hardly reached that high with any effectiveness, the Khajiit could see well enough into the shadows. It seemed that as far as he could tell, there was nothing there. Even so, he remained somewhat uncertain of that. At that moment, he was perfectly aware of just difficult it was to sense a magically cloaked vampire.

In the absence of any detectable danger, the party edged forward behind Ras'Dar toward the centre of the larger chamber.

Just as he reached a position near the middle of the chamber, Ras'Dar came to an abrupt halt, freezing in place.

Forester whispered. "Trouble?"

The Khajiit seemed to take a lengthy time to respond. "This one… Ras'Dar cannot move."

Forester quickly came to the realisation that he was also unable to take another step forward. Though he could just see Rena in his peripheral vision, he was unable to even turn his head to look in her direction. She seemed just as motionless as both Ras'Dar and himself. In the relative silence, he could hear the laboured breathing of those behind him. Though no one said anything, he reasonably presumed that they were most likely in precisely the same predicament.

"We…we…" Forester tried to speak, but found that his throat was tightening, choking off his voice. The pounding of his own heartbeat seemed to thunder in his ears.

Forester quickly forgot what he was trying to say as he watched the Khajiit slump down in front of him and slowly collapse down to the stone floor. As he saw Rena also slowly crumbling down to the floor, he heard the sounds of metal striking the stone behind him, confirming that the others had fallen to the same effect. The clattering noise of his own blade landing upon the stone sounded a long way off as he succumbed to the darkness of fading consciousness.

~O~


	14. Chapter 14

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 14

Sundas the 30th of Frostfall 4E50 Evening

Responding to the sound to his wife's voice, Forester stirred.

"Wha… wha's goin' on?" Rena's voice sounded slurred.

Forester didn't try to immediately reply. In general, he felt just as sluggish and groggy as she sounded. Added to that, he was not feeling at all comfortable. The dull ache in his left shoulder seemed to represent at least some part of that discomfort. With a start, he quickly recalled where he was and those last moments before his mind became engulfed by a pressing darkness. His eyelids parted to inform him that a dim light source was located nearby.

Forester quickly learned that his free movement was quite restricted. He found that his hands were restrained. A set of manacles on a very short chain had been fitted to his wrists and his boots appeared to be strapped together in some fashion. With some effort, he managed to wriggle and swing himself up into a sitting position. That relatively minor exertion seemed far more difficult than he anticipated, exacerbating the aching in his shoulder.

From that raised position, Forester could see the burning lantern sitting upon the stone floor just a few paces beyond his feet. He had no idea of what happened to the other two lanterns. Nevertheless, that light informed him of the nature of the restriction upon his legs. His boots has been firmly bound by long leather strips, in a manner that would prevent any free movement. It required some amount of effort to part his knees just a little. Without assistance, there seemed little hope of managing to work those bindings loose at all.

Near to Forester on his right, Rena was still lying down on her back upon the stone floor. Her hands were bound at the wrist with rope. Her arms folded up across her chest, so that her fists sat just below her chin. Her boots were bound in a similar manner to his own, but by making use of strips of linen in place of leather. He could see no outward indication of serious injury. Unless he'd been dreaming, he was prepared to assume that she must have awoken, since it was her voice that brought him to full wakefulness. However, her eyes remained closed, with a slightly pained expression.

Forester quickly noted Ras'Dar lying upon his side just next to Rena. Since he had back to them, he couldn't quite see the state of the Khajiit, but assumed he was similarly restrained. Quickly turning his head to the left, Forester saw that Alex was lying just next to him, then Monika, with the Penitus Oculatus Inspector at the far end. As far as he could tell, each of them had been restrained in some similar fashion to his own bindings, except for Alex. It seemed that Alex had his hands bound at his back and he'd been gagged as well. He had yet to properly consider the possible rationale of that particular circumstance.

Forester returned his attention to his wife. Uncertain of the whereabouts of their captor, he tried to keep his voice to a harsh whisper. "Rena. Rena, are you alright?"

She still hadn't opened her eyes. "Hmm? Yeah, thinkso. Got a headache… an' a sore arse. Pro'ly landed on it."

"Why haven't you opened your eyes?"

She opened her eyes partway, wincing. "Cos I got a headache. Tolja."

"Are you certain you're alright. You're voice… you're slurring."

She sighed. "Yeah, well. I'm feelin' like… likethe mornin' after… after puttin' down a coupla bottles of wine the night b'fore."

"Did you hit your head?"

"Dunno. Might've. Can't be all that bad."

"Are you sure?"

"No, but I'm good 'nough. See anythin'?"

With passing awareness of a dry mouth, Forester hesitated. "Not much. All of us appear to be bound, but I have not yet seen who might be responsible for our…"

With his arms beneath him, Alex wriggled about on his back in a state of alarm, bumping Forester with his legs. A muffled angry grunt emerged from behind his gag. He shook his head in frustration, unable to gain purchase to raise himself up from the stone floor.

Forester tried to shift position, moving his manacled hands over toward Alex's head.

A deep male voice rang out from the shadows, from beyond the reach of the pool of light cast from the lantern on the floor. "Leave the Nord's muzzle in place. There's no need to make this any more difficult."

With some hesitation, Forester stopped trying to reach Alex. He turned his attention toward the shadows where the voice had come from. He repositioned himself slightly and brought his manacled hands up a little.

The voice spoke again. "That won't have any affect. You will find that the enchantments upon those shackles will keep you from summoning magicka."

Forester noted a subtle tingling sensation through the cold iron of his manacles. He suspected some sort of 'silencing' enchantment capable of doing precisely what his captor suggested. That understanding brought him no comfort.

The stranger had yet to show his face. Though he spoke quite clearly in the common tongue, the accent seemed terribly difficult to identify. Forester thought it was possibly a mix of more than one accent, though he couldn't quite place which ones that might be.

Forester strained to see where the voice was coming from. However, the glare from the lantern interfered with his ability to see into the shadows beyond.

Only a brief moment passed by before a tall figure stepped forward from the darkness. His dark cloak provided little indication of anything of note. A mane of long white hair represented a start contrast to the cloak. Apart from his height, his gaunt facial features and pointed ears revealed an obvious Altmer heritage, if nothing else.

Forester did think that he saw something unusual as the stranger passed from the dim periphery into the pool of lantern light. For just a brief instant, he thought that he saw the blood red eyes more typical of a Dunmer. The stranger's eyes seemed to quickly flicker toward an orange colour, then resolved to a yellowish shade more common to some Altmer. Though unsettling, it seemed to be no more than a trick of the light.

Pausing just near the lantern, the stranger spoke again. "Since all of you are now awake, there are matters to be discussed."

Forester's gaze darted quickly to the right, then the left. Though he was aware that both Rena and Alex were awake, he'd seen no indication of anything from the others.

The tall Altmer bent down and took hold of the lantern. He took two steps to his left, setting the lantern upon an old wooden crate by the stone wall. Forester had not noticed the crate before that moment. With the elevated lantern casting the light a little further afield, he then saw the pile of weapons, shields and other items sitting well beyond their reach, near that wall on the right. He could just barely see the entrance to a dark passageway off behind the Altmer and another dark passage situated some distance away off to the left. The two darkened drainage outlets in the ceiling up above led him to think that they might still be in that same chamber where they'd fallen, but he couldn't be quite certain of that. After all, it was fair to presume that many of the chambers of that part of the sewer probably looked just like that.

In a matter-of-fact tone, the stranger resumed. "The Khajiit has been awake for some time, trying to maintain the appearance that he is not. It is the same with the Imperial spy. The half-breed female is remaining silent, but she has been trying to observe my movement though the shadows for some time now."

Responding to the verbal slight, Monika broke her silence. "Who are you?" After two attempts, she managed to awkwardly swing herself up into a sitting position.

Maintaining some distance, but shifting a couple of steps closer, the stranger folded his arms behind his back, looking toward to her with an affected air of indifference. His tone remained impassive. "My name is unimportant. You can be certain that it would hold no meaning for you."

Rena added her voice. "Still wanna know who you are." She hadn't bothered with trying to sit up.

The tall Altmer's outward expression seemed to indicate that he was unmoved by the demand. Then, he tilted his head slightly to one side. "Very well. You may call me Ancient."

Forester came to a conclusion that suddenly seemed quite obvious to him. "I believe that he's a vampire."

Rena struggled a little, trying to improve her view. "Doesn't look like one."

Though his colouring seemed typical of any Altmer, Monika seemed to require less convincing. "He's a vampire… of some kind. But still a vampire."

With a slow movement, the Ancient inclined his head slightly, in something like a nod of acknowledgment. "Yes, of some kind. Though not of any kind that any of you have likely encountered before."

"Still a vampire." Monika made no effort to conceal her contempt.

The Ancient paused a brief moment, but reflected no outward reaction to her contemptuous tone. "Yes, if you like. There are however many different kinds of vampires across the lands. I do not expect that any of you have known the likes of myself. To the best of my knowledge, I'm the last of my kind."

Ras'Dar managed to wriggle about until he was also sitting up, but maintained his silence. Also remaining silent, Baywater hadn't tried to sit up, but shifted slightly so that he could see their captor a little better.

Forester cleared his throat. "So then, do you mean to kill us or feed upon us?"

The Ancient looked directly to Forester with knitted brow, then quickly relaxed his expression to a more neutral state. "No, not if I don't need to. Neither of those options would be among my first choices." He paused to glance at some of his captives. "I certainly have no taste for Khajiiti blood or life-force. I suppose that there are at least two of you that might provide for more interesting flavour. However, I have no plans to indulge such idle curiosity."

Though she didn't really want to know, Rena pressed him. "So, what ARE you planning, bloodsucker?"

The Ancient glared at her briefly with an expression of distaste. Her antagonistic tone seemed to have strained his affectation of civility, if only momentarily.

Forester drew attention back toward himself. "If you're not planning to kill us or hold us as cattle, then what? Are you meaning to enthral us as servants? Are you intending to make more of your kind?"

The Ancient shook his head in an exaggerated fashion. His expression conveyed that he thought that Forester's words seemed suitably absurd. He glanced upward, as though he could see through the stone to the city overhead. "In light of current circumstances in the city above, I do not expect that the disappearance of five members of the Fighters Guild would go unnoticed. More so, given your current task. An agent of your Emperor's soldier-spies going missing during that task would only add further unwelcomed complications. It has already become inconveniently crowded down here."

Baywater appeared slightly agitated as he again shifted position on the stone floor, struggling a little with his restraints. It was fair to think that his unease was reaction to the vampire's words. The Ancient seemed to know far too much of things that were not outwardly evident. Baywater's status with the Penitus Oculatus was one such example.

Suspecting that Baywater might be up to something, Forester tried to keep the Ancient talking. "I take it that the vampire that we killed earlier was one of yours?"

"Yes, he was. In my service, at least." His expression hardly altered at all.

"Killing one of yours has not angered you?"

"No, not at all. I suppose that you've done me a favour or sorts. Soon or later, I was going to have to dispose of him." The Ancient paused. "He was not of my kind and not at all worthy of my trust. The disobedience of Strabo drew me back to this part of the tunnels. He'd already repeatedly ignored my summons, as he'd done before upon a number of occasions. He was under orders to avoid attracting any unwanted attention. Instructed not to feed or kill unless by my direct consent." He shook his head in disappointment. "The return did not readily balance with the effort of trying to maintain his servitude."

The ancient vampire casually turned toward Baywater. "As you have already learned, the sharpened trinket was removed. You needn't bother to attempt reaching the blade that was in your boot, or those other items that you thought hidden. I have been quite thorough."

For the first time, Baywater seemed like he might have been struggling to suppress his anger. Nevertheless, he remained silent.

Since Forester's words had apparently provoked no direct hostility and seemingly appealed to some talkative aspect of the Ancient's nature, he kept to that tactic. "Am I to surmise that you are an agent of some sort, from the Aldmeri Dominion? Were those foreign Bosmer under your instruction? Assassins sent to kill the Emperor and the royal family?"

The Ancient blinked in an unexpected fashion, shaking his head just barely, as though a moth had just flittered about his face. "Don't be absurd. Those Valenwood Bosmer are of no interest to me. If anything, their activities have brought me unnecessary inconvenience. I hold little interest in the affairs of current political turmoil. If anything, I'd much prefer that your Emperor was doing a better job of maintaining order across the lands."

That wasn't exactly what Forester was expecting to hear. "So, you have no affiliation with the Altmer of the Aldmeri Dominion?"

"Of course not. Such things are of little interest to me. Though I was once of Altmer bloodline, that is clearly no longer the case." He waved a hand dismissively. "In my view, that so-called Aldmeri Dominion seems nothing more than another flawed endeavour. An energetic folly built upon the conceit of an ill-informed notion of forgotten times." He shook his head. "A future which fails to recognise the past… Well, it did not succeed on the previous occasion."

"So, you are saying that you do not support the current Altmer regime?"

The Ancient released a heavy sigh, if only illustrate his thoughts. "As I said, no."

Forester silently stared at the Ancient for a lengthy moment. Given what he'd already observed of the ancient's tendency to freely elaborate with only a minimum of discretion, he was expecting something more. He waited a further moment with an expectant expression.

The vampire obliged. "Brief lives lead to short memories. Though those Altmer of the isles live longer than your kind, it seems that they do not endure long enough to recall the past with any lasting clarity. The world has changed far too much to rationally pursue any goal of returning it to an imagined state of past glories. Whether by rule, or by other measures of alliance, the future of Tamriel would be far better served by the relatively peaceful coexistence of the races and regions. Were the Akaviri to return to these shores for a third time, in any great number…" He paused to shake his head again. "Still, those matters are only indirectly related in this particular moment."

Forester's expression conveyed his sense of confusion. He seemed at a loss to recognise the motivations of the ancient vampire. "I do not understand. Since you seem clearly capable of… well, placing all of us in this position… You say that you have no intention of harming us or feeding upon us… and you claim no political affiliation with the Aldmeri Dominion… What is it that you want of us?"

The Ancient pursed his lips before responding. "If it were not for the poorly executed and perhaps ill-advised actions of those Valenwood Bosmer, none of you would even be down here. None would be aware of my brief and passing presence below this city. I would have been and gone from this place without causing further concern for anyone of note. Least of all, myself. However, since circumstances have served to disrupt the privacy of my activity, I see an opportunity to negotiate for a mutually favourable outcome."

Rena responded in an incredulous tone. "You wanna make a deal?"

Forester shot her a sharp glance, silently urging her restraint. The Ancient seemed to have been making quite an effort to maintain an air of civility. Given the severity of their current situation, Forester hoped to explore the possibility of anything that did not result in the vampire deciding that it was just easier to kill them and depart. "What is it that you are proposing?"

Maintaining a generally neutral expression, it appeared that the Ancient had chosen to ignore Rena's outburst. He kept his focus directed toward Forester. "As I suggested, a mutually favourable outcome." He paused momentarily. "You and yours have been tasked with apprehending those Valenwood Bosmer, alive if possible. After a fashion, that also suits my liking." He paused again. "I'll see to it that the fugitives are apprehended and delivered to your Emperor's people. With all due credit to yourselves, of course. I only require that I be permitted to complete my business and depart the city without interference."

Forester noted that both Rena and Monika were struggling to remain quiet. Both seemed as though they had something inflammatory to say, and it looked as though some measure of effort was required to contain that instinct. Alex had little choice in that respect, but his eyes spoke volumes, still radiating his sense of anger and frustration. Both Ras'Dar and Baywater had evidently chosen to remain perfectly silent. Both seemed a little harder to read.

Though the notion of any negotiation appeared clearly one-sided, Forester pressed just a little. "What kind of business? Are you here in the city to kill someone else or something of that nature?"

Before returning to his neutral expression, the Ancient raised and lowered his brows, expressing passing surprise that Forester was even asking those questions. "No, nothing of a sort. I only mean to retrieve an item of importance to myself and then be on my way."

Forester furrowed his brow. "Some sort of magical artefact? An item of rare power, perhaps?"

The Ancient pursed his lips before responding. "No, nothing like that."

Forester appeared somewhat dissatisfied with that terse response. It stood in stark contrast to most of his previous lengthy musings. "I would imagine that the fall of the Septim Dynasty might well have begun with an agent of the Mythic Dawn cult seeking out an unspecified item."

The ancient vampire seemed just slightly annoyed at the tone of Forester's veiled accusation. "It… it is a personal item. Something of sentimental value. Of no tangible value to anyone but myself." He paused, restoring his composure. "It was taken from me. I want it back in my possession. It is as simple as that."

"How's this deal s'posed to work?" Monika kept her question as direct and short as possible.

Forester tried to maintain the Ancient's focus. "Am I to believe that you intend to bring the Bosmer assassins to us and merely send us on our way?"

The vampire held Forester's gaze. "No, some assurances will need to be met. I still have three in my service. Two local vampires and a mortal thrall. I have already tasked them with monitoring the activities of those Valenwood Bosmer. They will be instructed to apprehend the five remaining fugitives, alive if possible, and bring them to me at the proper time."

"Five?" Rena interrupted.

The Ancient continued. "Yes, I understand that you are aware only of those three that escaped into the tunnels below that fighter's arena. There are two others that were below the trading segment of the city. I expect that circumstances may force them to regroup shortly."

Forester frowned. "What circumstances?"

"The Imperial soldiers above have secured all the accessible ways in and out of these tunnels. I suspect that the fugitives will either try to wait them out, or else they may choose to make use of the poisons they are carrying. That would make it rather difficult to bring them in alive. In that respect, the passage of time may soon become an urgent matter."

Forester sounded suspicious. "How is it that you know all of this?"

The Ancient waved his hand outward, then returned it to his side. "I have maintained regular contact with each of my remaining charges. They have kept me well informed."

"Contact?"

"I have my ways. I am an Ancient."

Forester interpreted that as indication that he wasn't about to learn the specifics. He suspected that an ancient vampire might well possess abilities of which he was not aware. He also reasonably suspected that he might be well versed in other certain magical skills that were not commonly known to even the most knowledgeable scholars of the Arcane University.

Forester returned to the matter at hand. "So then, how do you intend to enforce the terms of any agreement?"

The Ancient nodded slowly. "As I said, some assurances will need to be met. Of course, I will consent to releasing some of you to return to your superiors, in order to secure this agreement. I'm fully prepared to secure the apprehension of those fugitives and deliver them in the best state possible. However, there can be no purpose to this agreement, if I am not granted what I require."

"Some of us? You intend to hold hostages?" Forester sought clarity.

"Yes, of course. That would only be prudent." His expression indicated that he thought that aspect was perfectly evident. "Know also, that once I have completed my business, I will dispose of those two vampires and their mortal disciple. They would cause no further concern for anyone of this city."

Rena reacted. "You'd kill your own kind, just to seal a deal?"

The Ancient held his composure. "They are not of my kind. Though they believe they might find advantage in attaching themselves to my purpose, I hold each of them in rather low regard. No more than convenient tools. They are merely rogues, dismissed by the remnants of the Cyrodiil Vampyrum Order. By your own measure, they are already dead."

Rena glowered, but offered no verbal counter.

The Ancient appeared either unaffected or disinterested of her opinion. He shifted his attention further toward his right, gesturing directly to Baywater. "You hold a position of only limited authority. However, you have access to those with the authority necessary to secure agreement to my terms."

With some effort, Baywater swung up to a sitting position to look directly up to the face of the Ancient. He tried to reflect the neutral expression of the vampire. "Assurances?"

The Ancient raised his eyebrows. "You have my word."

"Your word?" The inspector kept his tone mostly in check.

"The transaction is simple. I have my requirements. You have your requirements."

Baywater paused before responding. "You don't seem like you can be trusted."

"Trust is hardly at issue. Mutual precautions to achieve a mutually favourable outcome. Even so, the greater risk is my own."

Baywater paused a moment. "You talk too much and know too much. And there still has to be more you're not saying."

The Ancient waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "Exercising appropriate caution, I have remained as open as I am willing to be. The terms are perfectly simple. I will deliver the Valenwood Bosmer and dispose of the threat of those others under my influence. Provided that my own requirements are met, the hostages will be returned unharmed."

After a further moment of silence, Baywater responded. "Understood."

The Ancient resumed. "Of course, if I am forced to pursue alternatives to ensure my own freedom of movement, there will be unfortunate consequences. I would prefer that it did not need to come to that."

"The hostages?" Baywater probed for clarification.

The Ancient returned his gaze in Forester's direction. "The hostages will remain unharmed, provided my requirements are met. I will hold the mage and the Nord with the unusual bloodline."

Forester glanced to Monika, noting her disagreeable expression.

"No, not her." The vampire gestured toward Alex.

Alex's eyes flared, but he was in no position to utter a verbal protest, or otherwise offer anything of his opinion on the matter.

Forester cleared his dry throat, noting his growing thirst. "Why us?"

The Ancient hesitated before offering his reasoning. "As I stated, the Imperial agent is in the best position to negotiate for my requirements with his superiors. Of course, the Khajiit is of no use to me. The two females are best motivated to see that each of their mates are returned to them unharmed. Added to that, I understand that both of you are known to the son of the Emperor in a favourable light."

With a frown, Forester opened his mouth.

The Ancient anticipated the likely question. "Never mind how I know. It is enough that I know."

Forester looked to Monika again, seeking her view.

Monika glanced down to Alex. Her expression conveyed her frustration. She held up her bound hands. "Don't like it one bit, but doesn't look like we got a whole lot of choice."

Rena spoke up. "I don't like it either."

Forester turned to look to his wife with apprehensive concern.

Stepping over toward the stone wall, the Ancient spoke again. "None of us have a great deal of choice in this. Each of us will do what we must." He bent down to retrieve two satchels, an unlit lantern and a short blade.

Ras'Dar appeared alarmed as he saw the blade in the vampire's hand. With a sweeping hand gesture from the Ancient, the Khajiit slumped back down to the stone floor.

The Ancient gestured again and Forester slumped forward onto his knees.

Rena sounded alarmed. "What are you doing?"

The vampire maintained his calm demeanour. "No need for concern. They are merely sleeping."

Monika leaned over Alex. Evidently, he'd also been rendered unconscious.

Slinging the two satchels about his shoulders, the Ancient set down the lantern and approached Ras'Dar's prone body with the blade in his hand. With swift movement, he cut the straps binding the Khajiit, then tossed the blade back toward the pile of weapons and other items.

The Ancient spoke calmly. "When the Khajiit awakens, he can release the rest of you, so that you can be on your way. I will be taking these two with me to another location."

"Taking them where?" Rena glared up at the Ancient.

"Another location." The vampire returned the glare. His expression seemed to carry enough menace that he deemed it unnecessary to issue any verbal threat.

Though her expression clearly conveyed her contempt, Rena held her tongue.

The Ancient reached down and forward. Gripping Forester by his manacles and the bindings about his boots, he slid him away from his wife toward the centre of the chamber. After offering Monika a similar expression of warning, taking care to lift his head, he moved Alex in a similar manner.

Shifting the two prone forms into position, the vampire hooked the unlit lantern to Forester's manacles, then hoisted both he and Alex, to hold one under each arm.

He paused a moment to make a final address. "Do not attempt to follow me. Once you have secured agreement, return to this place. I will know when you have arrived. I will also know if you have returned with additional forces. That would be most unwise. Do not place the lives of your companions in unnecessary jeopardy."

With Forester and Alex held firmly under his arms, the Ancient turned about and departed quickly, leaving via the darkened passageway leading deeper into the sewers.

~O~


	15. Chapter 15

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 15

Sundas the 30th of Frostfall 4E50 Evening

Once the ancient vampire was clearly gone from their presence, disappearing off into the shadows of the sewers, Monika moved in action. She managed to wriggle and roll across the musty stones of the floor until she'd made her way over to where all their equipment was piled near the wall. Given the way that her hands were bound, it didn't allow for much in the way of articulated movement. She didn't even consider trying to do anything with any those weapons that remained sheathed in their scabbards. Instead, she tried to take hold of that short blade that the vampire had tossed to the stone floor.

At the same time, Rena had tried to rouse Ras'Dar from his slumber. She didn't seem to be having much success. She wasn't all that surprised, since the Khajiit wasn't just sleeping in any normal fashion. She guessed that whatever magical effect that the vampire used to put him into a state of sleep, would probably keep him that way for some specific period of time or something like that. Of course, she didn't really know anything for a fact, so she kept at it for a bit longer, hoping that her persistence might bring him out of it.

Only a few short moments passed before Baywater settled upon the rather obvious course of action to pursue. It seemed clear to him that the Khajiit wasn't about to be woken in any short order. It also appeared evident that Monika was going to have some trouble using that blade to cut herself free. With some effort, he awkwardly rolled himself across the floor over toward Monika, making some adjustments along the way to maintain proper positioning.

Monika had previously made no effort to hide her dislike of the Penitus Oculatus Inspector. From the start of things, working with him had never been her first choice. Still, she understood what he intended. With a curt nod she agreed with the suggestion to try using the blade to cut Baywater's bindings. His suggestion to take care not to slip and cut him only provoked a harsh glare from her. Any harsh words remained unspoken.

It was only after Monika had dropped the blade for a third time that Baywater suggested that she should allow him to try instead. That suggestion was met with another harsh glare. With a heavy sigh of frustration, Monika relented, allowing the Inspector to take up the blade.

Despite his apparent confidence with the task, Baywater seemed to be having nearly as much trouble with the blade as Monika had demonstrated. Still, though he fumbled quite a bit, he managed not to actually drop the blade.

Just as Baywater was making the final cut through Monika's bindings, Ras'Dar had awoken with a start, causing Rena to tumble over backward onto her back again. She'd only just managed to avoid striking her head upon the stone. She groaned with discomfort.

Monika called out to Rena. "You okay?"

"Ugh, yeah… sorta. Pretty sure my arse is gonna be bruised for a week."

Ras'Dar shook off his stupor, clambering to his feet. "This one is free." He sounded suitably surprised. The last thing that he recalled was the vampire leering at him with a blade in his hand as he was still firmly bound upon the stone floor.

With her hands finally freed, Monika reached around behind her to slide one of the sheathed swords in the Khajiit's direction. "Help cut the rest of us loose."

Blinking again in surprise, Ras'Dar picked up the blade from the stone floor and quickly set to doing as she asked. Soon enough, everyone's bindings had been cut and they were all free to look to the next move.

Once Ras'Dar was informed of the obvious, they were all aware that the ancient vampire had taken both Forester and Alex with him to wherever he was making his current lair beneath the Imperial City. Of course, that was assuming that the vampire had actually set up some place for that purpose. Even so, none of them could hold any idea of exactly where that might be. Given the vast layout of those sewers, it could have been just about anywhere beneath the eastern side of the city.

Gathering up her equipment, Rena gave voice to her thoughts. "I don't s'pose anyone's thinking that maybe we oughta go after them?"

Monika looked to her with a heavy sigh. "Want to? Yeah. But ought to?"

Rena turned away and looked off into the dark passage leading deeper into the sewers. "Ras'Dar could probably try to track them."

Nobody immediately responded to Rena's suggestion. After a moment, she turned back to look toward the others.

The Khajiit opened his mouth, but didn't actually speak.

Baywater spoke first. "Probably not the best idea. Not if you want to see the both of them alive again."

Monika looked to Rena with a pained expression. "I hate it, but I think we've got no choice but to do what he asked."

Rena reflected her expression. "Yeah well, I hate it too."

Baywater weighed in again. "The vampire seemed clear about that part. Arrange to give him what he wants, or else. Whatever his true reasons."

Rena narrowed her eyes. "You think there's even more to it?"

Monika seemed to think so. "Gotta be more to it."

Baywater nodded in a curt manner. "Probably is. Can't say what." He kneeled down to rummage through the satchel that he'd previously been carrying.

Monika shook her head, struggling with errant thoughts. "Could've just killed us all and been on his way. Probably could've just avoided us altogether."

Ras'Dar affected a contemplative expression. "Sewers very large. Many places to stay unseen. Some vampires very good at staying unseen, even by Khajiit."

Baywater remained quiet. He'd retrieved those two oilskins from the bag. The vampire had taken only one lantern with him, leaving the other two with them, one still burning and the other unlit. He proceeded to carefully top up the reservoir of the unlit lantern, then repeated the process more carefully with the one that was already alight.

Rena glanced off toward the dark passage again. "If that bloodsucker does anything to hurt… or something worse…"

Monika took Rena's shoulder, drawing her attention. "Don't think about that. If he was gonna do that, he already woulda done it… I think. We just need to play this out and get them back."

Rena returned an exaggerated nod, but her frustration remained perfectly evident.

Ras'Dar remained quiet throughout that last part of the exchange. His expression indicated that he had nothing relevant to add. He was merely waiting to be informed of their decisions.

Without speaking, Monika and Rena shared a prolonged moment.

Baywater had finished with the lanterns, lighting the second one. He interrupted the silent gaze between the two women. "We're wasting time. We need to get moving."

Monika turned away from Rena to glare briefly at the Imperial man. She briefly shifted her aspect to glance at the expectant Khajiit, then looked back to her friend. "He's right. The quicker we get this done, the better."

Rena shifted her stance, releasing a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I get it."

Monika returned a reassuring nod. "We need to get outa here and back up above, then back to the tower." She looked to Baywater.

The Inspector responded with a curt nod. "I'll need to speak with my Chief Inspector."

"And Prince Attrebus." Monika made that assertion in a forceful tone.

Baywater's posture tensed slightly. "Yes, I expect that the Prince will want to be informed. Of course, my Chief Inspector will be bringing any relevant details to the Emperor's attention."

Monika met his gaze only briefly. "Good enough." She looked away, apparently taking him at his word.

With nothing else to say, Baywater took hold of the burning lantern sitting upon the crate, indicating that he was ready to move out.

With another sigh, Rena collected the second lantern and hooked it to the top of her shield as she'd done before. Monika signalled Ras'Dar with a jerk of her head. The Khajiit responded with a nod of understanding. It was clear that she meant for him to take the lead.

Baywater didn't wait for any instruction, moving into step behind Ras'Dar.

Rena looked to Monika briefly. Without words, she gathered that Monika intended to hold to the rear. She started to move off along behind the other two. She was moving with a bit of a limp.

"You sure you're okay?" Monika sounded only mildly concerned.

"Okay enough. Just some aches and pains. Mostly, just a pain in the arse." Rena snorted at her own mildly amusing comment.

"I could try a healing spell."

"Nah, ain't that bad. We got bigger problems to worry about."

"Yeah."

* * *

Forester slowly returned to the world of the waking. It was the nearby sounds of heavy breathing that firstly caught his attention.

Opening his eyes, he looked upward to his left. He saw that Alex was already awake and sitting up with his back against a stone wall. He was still gagged, but the arrangement of his bindings had been altered. His hands had been bound in front of him, but also tied with a short rope connected to the bindings about his boots. Effectively, that new arrangement allowed him to sit upright, but still kept him from reaching the gag with his hands.

Of course, Alex's expression still conveyed an air of frustration and anger, much like before. However, he seemed outwardly more weary than earlier. Though their gazes met directly, Forester didn't offer any immediate verbal response.

Forester observed that his own bindings appeared unaltered. His boots remained firmly bound together and he was still wearing those enchanted manacles joined by the short chain. He noted that his head had not been laid against bare stone. A bundle of cloth had been rolled to serve as a pillow of sorts. He couldn't tell what it was. Only that it didn't exude any terrible odours, despite his expectation of such a thing.

A few paces beyond his boots, the light radiating from a single lantern set upon the stone floor illuminated the immediate surroundings. With some effort, Forester managed to swing himself up into a sitting position, then awkwardly shuffled backward until he was up against the wall. The slightly improved view hardly informed him any better of their current location.

At first, Forester thought that they might still be in the same chamber as before. It seemed the same size and shape, with tunnel passageways at the same places. The shallow drain running along the centre of the chamber also followed the same path.

A second glance about soon dispelled that initial notion. He noticed that the shadows about the passage entrance located ahead of him seemed different. It looked like some of the archway stones were missing from the framework. He also quickly observed that those old wooden crates were absent from that wall to his right. Instead, there was a low-set cavity in the wall that looked to be part of the drainage feed from above. The shallow drain by that wall seemed to feed into the floor of the tunnel directly ahead of his position.

Forester's own satchel and a Legion ration satchel sat upon the floor, not far from the lantern. Further over toward the left of where they were positioned, he could just barely see the shadow of some darkened objects near the far wall.

However, he had yet to spot the current whereabouts their captor. Forester again looked to Alex, wondering if he had seen the vampire. Of course, he knew that there seemed little point in asking, since no verbal response would be possible. Nonetheless, Alex's eyes flared in a manner that indicated he could see something directly ahead.

Forester returned his gaze to that direction. He observed the tall figure emerging from the shadows beyond the immediate reach of the lantern light.

"I see that you are back with us. Very good." The vampire's openly congenial expression only served to make him seem more threatening.

Though they remained alive and relatively unharmed, Forester hardly thought much of their current circumstance to be good at all. Certainly not 'very good'. He set those thoughts aside. "How… How long?" He noted that his voice was croaking with his dry throat.

"Not long. I understand that it is… still well short of midnight." The ancient vampire shrugged mildly. It seemed as though he probably knew the exact hour, but chose to keep his response intentionally vague.

Forester cleared his throat, noting that the exercise caused him some discomfort.

The vampire stepped to the shadows over to the left of the reach of the lantern's pool of light. He took hold of one of the shadowy shapes and dragged it out into the light. It was just a wooden barrel with metal banding. Its only immediately notable feature was that it did not seem as though it had been down there for years. The barrel didn't really look old at all.

Though the vampire shifted the barrel as though it weighed nothing at all, the sounds that it made indicated some significant volume of liquid within. Once the barrel was near the centre of the open space, the Ancient took up the lantern and set it atop.

With the lantern light casting further afield, Forester observed some of what remained over where the barrel came from. There were some broken wooden crates next to an upturned iron brazier. Just beyond that, there was another pile of ill-defined debris. It seemed as though that chamber had been occupied for some purpose during previous times.

The Ancient vampire remained standing just next to the barrel, silently observing his captive audience of two.

Forester noted an expectant expression upon the vampire's face. His voice remained croaky. "How long do you intend to hold us?"

The Ancient casually raised his eyebrows. "Of course, that would depend upon the actions of your compatriots."

Forester maintained an even tone. "Not… not entirely. What of your side of the bargain?"

The Ancient casually gestured with an open hand. "I expect those in my service to have secured the Valenwood Bosmer quite soon. With that matter in hand, we need only await the return of favourable agreement from above."

Forester coughed involuntarily, then winced from the discomfort that it brought to his parched throat.

Without comment, the vampire stepped over toward the two satchels upon the stone floor. He kneeled down and retrieved a water flask. He loosened the seal as he stepped toward Forester, then leaned down to hand it to him.

Forester's expression conveyed a blend of mild surprise with suspicion.

The Ancient tilted his head slightly. "It is your own water. Be assured that it remains unaffected. It would hardly serve any of our interests if you were to die from thirst… or any other misadventure."

Forester took a cautious sip of water, then a much longer one. He looked to Alex.

The Ancient anticipated the question. "Ah, yes. Your Nord companion, 'Alexander of Pinewatch Farm'." He paused. "As you might surmise from how he's been muzzled, I'm perfectly aware of the unusual gift. It would be inconvenient for all of us, if he were to try to make use of it in these circumstances." He paused again to meet Alex's gaze. "In any case, as I understand it… you do not quite 'do it right'… 'you let it all out so hard, it nearly breaks'…"

Alex's eyes clearly telegraphed his alarm. His thoughts returned fleetingly to that forge beneath the Sentinel Arena. To the best of his recollection, the words were almost the same as what Malacath had said to him when he retrieved his hammer. Though Forester certainly knew most details of what occurred that day, Alex had only ever repeated those specific phrases to Monika.

Forester watched Alex intently. Of course, he couldn't know precisely what was going through his friend's mind. Nonetheless, he held similar concerns over the measure of detail that the vampire seemed to hold. Only a select few knew of Alex's limited ability with the ancient dragon tongue.

Still looking to Alex, the Ancient resumed. "Though you might cause me to briefly stagger or fall, it would be far more likely that you would only provoke my anger. It would be better for all that you agreed to refrain from any attempt to call upon ancient dragon magic."

Alex turned away to look to Forester with a questioning expression.

Forester cleared his throat. "Yes well, given the circumstances, I think that it might be for the best. Best to avoid conflict, I should say."

After a moment, Alex looked back up to the vampire. Responding to an expectant gaze, he nodded his reluctant assent.

The Ancient appeared outwardly pleased with the response. "Very good. I did give my word that both of you would be returned unharmed. Do not provide me with any cause to default upon that vow."

Stepping around to the side, the vampire reached down behind Alex's head and released the knot holding the gag in place. He then stepped back to stand a few paces away.

Spitting out the cloth, Alex shook his head until the makeshift gag fell away. Though he had yet to speak, his raspy breath provided clear indication of a dry throat.

Alex's hands were still tied to his boots, preventing him from lifting them anywhere near his head. Forester leaned over with the water flask and held it up in position so that Alex could sip from it. Alex knew well enough to try to take only short sips, but he struggled with the urge to take more than that. Some of the water dribbled from the sides of his mouth, running down his neck to dampen the collar of his leathers.

Recognising that Alex was done, Forester withdrew the flask. He fumbled with replacing the stopper, then set the water down on the floor between them.

The vampire seemed to have no objection over leaving the water with them. After a moment of pause, he looked to Forester with a questioning expression. "I suppose that you might feel the need to relieve yourself?"

Forester was actually feeling the need, but wasn't quite certain that it seemed so outwardly obvious. Nevertheless, his expression must have served to confirm the vampire's suggestion.

The Ancient inclined his head. "This place may be used as a sewer, but there is no need for any further unpleasantly or unnecessary mess."

The vampire reached down and lifted Forester by his manacled hands until he was standing upright upon his bound feet.

Of course with his boots still bound firmly, Forester couldn't really walk. At best, he might have been able to hop. The Ancient already had that in mind. He took Forester by the shoulders, hoisting him up so that his feet dangled just above the stone floor. He then guided him over to the far corner of the chamber.

The vampire stepped back as Forester fumbled to relieve himself in the corner by the pile of miscellaneous debris. Once he was done, the Ancient returned with Forester to sit him back down by Alex's side.

After cutting the cord binding Alex's hands to his feet, the same procedure was repeated for the Nord's benefit.

Forester had been silently watching on as the vampire guided Alex back across the chamber and eased him down into position at his side so that he was again sitting with his back against the wall. He'd been trying to make sense of the many things that the Ancient had said that provided indication of the depth of his insight into certain matters. Assuming that the vampire had actually been down there in the sewers for the reasons that he stated, there seemed like there could be no reasonable rationale behind him holding knowledge of individuals of no specific consequence to his concerns. More than that, he seemed to know subtle details that even the Penitus Oculatus would find difficulty uncovering without targeted purpose.

Clearing his throat, Forester gave voice to the obvious conclusion. "I take it that you have some means of reading minds or the like?"

The Ancient returned a neutral expression. Though most of his face indicated little, it almost seemed as though his eyes betrayed an instinct to smile.

Testing his theory, Forester tried his best to focus upon thinking of something unexpected. He tried to picture a clear image of the painting that hung upon the wall in the office of his Guildhead back in Skingrad. Guildhead Canne had only acquired that painting just recently. It portrayed an image of the sun setting over the Abacean Sea, with the Anvil harbour in the foreground, featuring the lighthouse just off to one side of the centre of the composition.

The Ancient noted Forester's prolonged silence with a dry chuckle and a humourless smile. "Though your absurd expression clearly indicates what you are doing… no, I don't know what you are thinking at this precise moment."

Forester frowned. "Well I… I'm afraid that I don't quite understand. I cannot fathom any other logical conclusion…" He shook his head a little.

Alex remained quiet. He certainly held no better idea.

Still appearing somewhat bemused, the Ancient tilted his head slightly to one side as he placed his hands behind his back. "Beside any intent obvious enough to a keen observer, the passing thoughts of your waking mind remain hidden to me. Still, you are not entirely wrong in your suppositions."

During the brief pause, Forester's expression shifted to one of open bewilderment as he struggled with making sense of what was meant.

The vampire resumed quickly. "However, the unguarded mind of a sleeper is altogether another matter. Should I take directed interest, a mind at full rest is not unlike an open book to me… or perhaps a compendium of volumes, written from a certain point of view."

Forester was frowning again as he tried to further qualify. "Is that somehow achieved through use of ancient magic or enchantments? Or…"

The vampire's open expression indicated that he seemed perfectly happy to provide clarity. "I have heard of such things in my travels, but no. The abilities at my disposal are inherent to an Ancient of my bloodline. Over a lengthy period of time, it is something to be mastered."

Alex bristled at Forester's side, but otherwise remained quiet.

Forester cleared his throat. "So, you know all about me… about us? From perusing our minds as we slumbered?"

Gesturing toward Forester, the vampire provided an articulated response. "You come from a family of horse breeders at a village located not far from Skingrad. The remainder of your immediate clan continue with that livelihood. However, you were more interested in the current versions of the Mages Guild. Only after failing to complete your pursuits with the elite mages of this city, you turned your skills toward serving with the Fighters Guild of Skingrad. In that pursuit, you have proved far more successful."

The Ancient paused a moment before choosing to add something else. "By your own measure, your greatest regret would arise from the absence of your former wife and son, some few years passed by. However, the somewhat unexpected circumstances you have found with your current wife have gone some way to easing that regret."

Though Alex certainly would have been peripherally aware of nearly all of the broader strokes of those details, Forester still felt some discomfort over hearing it spoken out loud in that manner. More so that it came from the mouth of a stranger.

Alex drew some attention away from his friend. "And so you know all about me, as well?"

The Ancient inclined his head. "Enough. Enough to find your brief life to be a somewhat interesting one. Perhaps, some of that comes from the heritage of your past, but not all of it. Going forward, you have made some interesting choices. Not necessarily wise choices, but interesting ones."

Alex's expression telegraphed some obvious confusion. He opened his mouth, but didn't actually speak.

The Vampire continued. "As I understand it, in some manner or another, most of the Nord bloodlines provide some innate ability… that so-called 'Nord battle cry'. However, there are few bloodlines that provide for any skill with mastery of the ancient magics relating to the 'Dragon Tongue'. I would imagine that there must fewer still who possess such a thing as an inheritance of birth."

Alex responded with only a strained veneer of civility. "You already said."

"Of course, I have already indicated that I'm aware of your ability. I also understand that you acquired your ability from your maternal grandfather. Whether your mother held any such potential remained unknown to you. As such, I know no different. Nonetheless, I do find it interesting what you have chosen to do with it." He paused. "For the most part, you have chosen to keep it secret. From all but your closest friends, it would seem."

"Have my reasons." Alex seemed to be struggling to hold his contempt reigned in.

Forester interceded. "There are reasons for that. Some wisdom in keeping it secret."

"Of course, I'm sure that seems to be the case." The Ancient returned his gaze toward Alex. "Though your father lost his life in foreign battles when you were too young to fully appreciate such a thing, that was not the case with the remainder of your immediate clan. Over the period of the past few years, your grandparents and mother were lost to you by means of illness or the infirmity of age. Though a matter of sadness, I'm certain, it hardly seemed enough to launch you upon your current path. Even now, you seem torn between the calling to continue the lifestyle of an adventurer with the Fighters Guild and the desire to return to something akin to what you left behind. I find that interesting."

"Not your business." Alex's voice sound a bit hoarse.

"No, not my business. Nevertheless, I do find it interesting."

Clearing his throat, Forester drew the vampire's attention once again. "So then, have you chosen us as your captives merely to provide for your entertainment?"

The Ancient affected a mild smile. "Perhaps, in part. If I am to hold hostages, I find it far more agreeable to hold individuals who might provide for interesting conversation."

Alex still seemed to be bristling and disinclined to provide any kind of conversation.

Forester spoke again, seeking to redirect the topic. "I still do not understand precisely why you were down here at the same time as those assassins."

The vampire returned a slightly perplexed gaze. "Those Valenwood Bosmer? As I suggested earlier, their arrival in this place at the same time as my own presence was no more than coincidence. I meant only to retrieve what I had come for and quietly depart. In this instance, happenstance has proven to be something of a great inconvenience. Had I known exactly what they were up to beforehand, I might have eliminated them."

Forester narrowed his eyes. "Couldn't you have read their minds… as they slept?"

The Ancient affected a slightly stunned expression. "Of course… if they had been sleeping in near proximity, or if I had foreseen the need, then I might have done so."

Forester's expression prompted the vampire to continue. "I had only overheard passing conversations regarding the festival entertainments in the city. At the worst, I considered that they might have been thieves or beggars of a sort. Provided that they presented no direct interference to my own activities, I saw no need for further consideration. It seemed better to avoid attracting any unnecessary attention."

"So you really had no idea of the assassination plot?" Forester prompted.

A brief flash of indignation washed across the Ancient's face before returning to a more neutral expression. "As I said, none at all."

Forester returned a silent nod of acceptance. Alex appeared far less accepting, but held his tongue.

The Ancient broke the prolonged silence. "The evening is growing late. Those spells you have endured do not provide for restful slumber. You should try to rest."

Alex responded in sullen tone. "So you can go back to reading our minds while we sleep?"

The vampire responded evenly. "I have already learned enough. You thoughts will remain your own. You have my word."

Forester tried not to sound too provocative "What will you be doing? Will you merely stand there watching over us… not reading our minds?"

The Ancient shrugged. "I have a book I was intending to read." He stepped away to retrieve something from the shadows, then remained by the edge of the pool of lantern light.

Forester watched the vampire for a moment as he took up a book and tilted it toward the light, then looked to Alex with a shrug of his own. "Though sleep might be elusive in these circumstances, I suppose we should try to rest for a short while."

Alex released a heavy sigh. "I suppose."

Forester slid and wriggled until he was again horizontal, and his head was back upon that makeshift pillow of cloth. Alex chose to remain upright against the wall, trying to keep his tired gaze directed toward their seemingly disinterested captor. Though feeling weary and in need of proper rest, neither man really expected to sleep.

~O~


	16. Chapter 16

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 16

Morndas the 31st of Frostfall 4E50 Early Hours

At least a couple of hours had passed by since Ras'Dar had been woken and everyone's bindings had been removed. After that relatively brief discussion before moving off, there had been very little said afterward. The three Guild Fighters and the Inspector departed that chamber beneath the Arena District to make their way back through the sewers toward that access point leading back up to the Arboretum District.

Though they were far less concerned over unexpected surprises as they retraced their earlier path, some measure of reasonable caution was maintained. Even if they believed most of the greater dangers were located behind them and that the tunnels had seemed mostly free of trouble before, they understood that was no guarantee of that remaining the case.

The two lanterns provided for adequate lighting, but it still seemed a little darker than before. Observing that there was no light coming down from above where overhead grills in the high ceilings were exposed to the outside world, Sundas was evidently well into the hours of darkness. Still given the circumstances, it remained difficult to reasonably gauge the passage of time.

Even though they assumed it had to be several hours after sunset, the temperature of the musty air in the sewers seemed to have hardly changed at all since they'd come down there. Given the nature of the place, that was probably to be expected.

Without notable incident, they eventually arrived back at the place where they'd firstly climbed down into the sewer system. At least a few of the torches set in that chamber had burned out, but several were still alight and sufficiently illuminating that space.

Cool air seemed to drift down from above about the metal ladder affixed to the stone wall. Given that it was obviously dark up above, it was not surprising that the exit overhead appeared somewhat darkened. Still, even though the cover was evidently not in place, they anticipated more lighting from the soldiers left in place to guard the access point.

Baywater spoke with a tone of authority. "I should go up first. Announce our return."

Without even thinking about it, Ras'Dar stepped aside to allow the Inspector to pass by. Neither Monika nor Rena offered any protest. Evidently not terribly concerned about who was going up the ladder first.

Baywater hooked the lantern onto his shield before slinging that about his shoulder, then started climbing the ladder. About half way up, he paused to declare his approach, making it clear he was Penitus Oculatus.

A brighter source of light suddenly appeared overhead, accompanied by the muted sounds of men shouting. Baywater resumed his climb, with the other three coming along up behind him. A few moments later, he was crawling through the opening to the world above.

Monika soon clambered out of the circular access well onto the damp grass as Baywater was addressing two Legion soldiers. She then learned that a large makeshift tent had been erected over the top of the sewer access. It felt immediately cooler above ground, but it wasn't terribly cold. Before she had time to think about anything else, she turned about to help Rena up onto the grass. Ras'Dar appeared just a moment later.

"Make way. Outside now." An unfamiliar Legion Captain with a large nose stepped inside the tent as the other two soldiers shuffled outside. He looked directly to the Penitus Oculatus agent.

"Inspector Baywater." The agent announced himself.

The Legion Captain of likely Nibenese descent didn't bother at all with introducing himself. "I was told that there were six of you."

Baywater responded evasively. "We encountered complications."

"Complications? The other two are still down there?"

"That's complicated."

"Did you find those assassins?" The Legion Captain frowned.

"Not yet. Complications."

The Captain appeared slightly confused. "So, those other two are still at it?"

"Not exactly. I need you to keep guarding this place. Make sure that nobody goes in or out until we return from the Imperial Tower."

The Legion Captain released a short sigh. He appeared slightly annoyed, but it didn't come through in his tone of voice. "Understood."

Of course, Monika, Rena and Ras'Dar remained silent throughout that exchange. It was obviously much easier to just let Baywater to the talking, so that they could be on their way as quickly as possible. It was only then that they learned that it had already passed the mark of midnight some time before.

In short order, the Inspector was done with the Legionnaire, advising him to arrange the sending of runners to go spread the word to the other posts about the city. As everyone else departed the tent, those other two soldiers were sent back in to guard the sewer access.

Out under the open sky, the absence of any shining moons illuminating the heavens became immediately apparent. A dim glow in the west represented one of the moons struggling to penetrate through the low cloud cover that had rolled in over the city as they were down below ground. Aside from those lanterns on hand and those carried by soldiers and guards, the only other ambient light came from the streetlamps along the main path through the Arboretum. A subtle mist hovered just above the ground.

Ras'Dar noted the obvious. "Rain has fallen this evening."

Rena responded in a distracted manner. "Yeah, ah… can't have been too heavy."

The stone pavement seemed only slightly damp and the bare ground to the side of the path hardly appeared sodden at all. At most, it looked like light showers might have passed over the city during the previous hours.

In relative silence, the three Guild Fighters followed Baywater back toward the gates leading into the Green Emperor Way. Those gates were still guarded, but with the Inspector in the lead, they were granted unrestricted passage.

The open spaces of the central district presented rather differently from earlier in the day. Aside from the movement of the torches carried by patrolling guards, the area seemed almost completely abandoned. Of course, there were still numerous signs of the festivities that took place hours before. Presumably, those things would be cleared away during the daylight hours.

Soon enough, Baywater was negotiating passage with the Imperial Guard at the entrance to the White-Gold Tower. Though neither guard seemed to immediately recognise him, his name and title appeared to effect an instant response. It was fair to assume that they'd been told to expect him at some point. It might have just been the case that there had been a number of Penitus Oculatus Inspectors coming and going over the past several hours.

Inside the tower entrance, two weary guards stood by the open doors to the meeting hall of the Elder Council. Baywater looked to the guards with a quick nod. Both of them seemed like they'd been at that post for a prolonged period and were more than ready to be relieved.

Baywater briefly noted the state of the chamber beyond the guarded doors. Judging from the lamps still burning inside the hall and the cleaning staff moving about with their trolleys, it seemed like something might have been taking place in there earlier in the evening. Though there was little indication of what it might have been about. Since it would have been difficult to call an impromptu seating of the Elder Council with any meaningful number in attendance on that day, such a thing seemed unlikely.

The Inspector gave it no more thought. Instead he gestured toward the right, directing the Guild Fighters to follow him along the curving outer hallway.

As would be reasonably expected at that late hour, the main hall running along the outer circumference of the tower seemed quiet. They passed only one guard along the way, headed in the opposite direction. He didn't break his stride at all, only briefly glancing to the Inspector as he passed by.

The late hour aside, with all that was going on, it seemed hardly surprising that there might be fewer soldiers about the halls than earlier. It was unlikely that was because they were off-duty. Aside from those directly assigned to detail within the tower, it was fair to presume that many of the guards and soldiers normally barracked in the Imperial Tower had been deployed about the city to assist with the operations to contain the sewers from above.

Just as the rampart leading up to the next level came into view, the echoed sounds of a pair of boots padding along the rugs of the hallway could be heard coming from behind.

A female voice called out from the rear. "Inspector… Inspector Baywater."

Baywater paused and turned about. Monika, Rena and Ras'Dar dispersed to come to a halt at either side of the Inspector, also turning to see who approached.

A slight framed woman with mousy brown coloured hair was rushing to catch up. She was dressed in rather plain leathers of a style similar to those that Monika and Rena had acquired from the armoury above. At a glance, her features indicated that she was of likely mixed Imperial heritage, though with a possible touch of Breton ancestry in that mix.

"Inspector Greenbrook." Baywater's response clearly indicated that she was also Penitus Oculatus. Though her name sounded vaguely Breton, it was mostly likely not her actual name.

"Inspector Baywater." Greenbrook repeated his name in a tone of formal greeting.

Baywater looked to her with a stern expression. "Something important?"

She shrugged mildly. "Not exactly. I've just returned from the Market District. Soldiers heard a ruckus down in the sewers while the post commander had stepped away. I had to remind them to follow orders and stay out of it. All under control."

Greenbrook had noted passing expressions of alarm from the people with Baywater.

Baywater spoke again. "Fighters Guild. They're with me."

Greenbrook returned a short nod. "Any success?" She seemed to be aware of what they'd been up to.

"Not precisely, but it's in hand… after a fashion. I'm going to need to speak directly with my Chief Inspector."

Greenbrook frowned slightly. "It's after two."

"Can't be helped. It can't wait."

"You want me to...?"

"No. I'll see to it."

Monika spoke up. "We headed for one of those meeting rooms?"

Baywater's eyes flickered to Monika and Rena in turn. "Not yet."

He turned to look to Greenbrook again. "Escort these Guild Fighters to a guest suite, if you can find one that's free."

Monika returned a challenging expression. She looked about to offer protest.

Baywater spoke first "Get some rest."

Rena didn't hold back. "Don't want rest. Want to get things happening."

Baywater maintain a neutral expression. "I need to gain access to the right persons before that can start. You can either wait and rest in a meeting room or somewhere more comfortable."

Monika responded before Rena could object. "Fine. We'll do that, but I don't expect to be waiting for too long."

Baywater nodded. "It'll be done as quickly as possible." He turned and rushed off ahead up the rampart to the next level of the tower.

Greenbrook silently watched Baywater depart. Her expression indicated that she was thinking. She looked to Monika and Rena, then the Khajiit. Without having been told, she seemed to have quickly decided that Monika held seniority. She addressed her directly. "I think there's a place available up on the fifth. We can head on up there. You can get cleaned up and rest until things are ready to proceed."

Monika returned a tired nod, then along with the other two, they all fell into step behind the Inspector as she started to lead them to the levels above.

* * *

Forester awoke with a mild start. He blinked and looked about. He hadn't forgotten where he was or about the current situation. The discomfort from his bindings served as clear reminder. The padding in his armour provided only limited relief from the cool hard stone beneath him. That rolled cloth beneath his head didn't make for a good pillow, but it had been better than nothing at all.

Looking to his left, he noted that Alex was asleep beside him, though still sitting propped against the stone wall. Despite his defiance over the notion of willingly resting in the presence of their captor, weariness had evidently overtaken him. A mild snort from the Nord offered a possible explanation for what had caused him to stir a moment earlier.

Looking toward the lantern set upon the barrel, Forester noted the Ancient vampire standing near motionless at the far side of the pool of light. After a moment, a page of a book was turned. If not for that movement, the vampire could have been easily mistaken for an impressively lifelike statue.

Alex snorted again, then shook himself as he returned to wakefulness with jolted motion. Since Forester had remained perfectly quiet, he didn't think that he was responsible for waking him. Alex wriggled in his bindings for a moment, glancing to Forester, then the vampire, before settling back against the stone wall.

Since Alex was awake, Forester swung himself up into a sitting position, then wriggled his backside along the stone until he was sitting by the wall next to the Nord.

The Ancient's head slowly turned in their direction. "Both of you seem determined not to take proper advantage of the opportunity to rest."

A flare of anger crept across Alex's face, briefly displacing his outward weariness.

Forester cleared his throat. "How long has passed?"

The vampire turned another page, only glancing to Forester momentarily. "Not long, I should think. More than two hours, less than three. Not nearly enough time for your comrades to have made contact with the proper persons."

Without otherwise moving at all, the Ancient turned his attention back to the book that he was reading. Accepting that the vampire had suddenly become less talkative than earlier, Forester noted the water flask still sitting upon the floor between Alex and himself. He managed to take hold of the flask and remove the stopper so that he could take a sip. At first offering, Alex appeared disinclined to accept any water. However, Alex responded more graciously to Forester's second attempt at gentle insistence, taking a short sip before handing it back to him. Forester set the flask back down upon the stone and looked back toward their captor.

After the passing of a lengthy moment of prolonged silence, Forester chose to speak up. "I er… ah… Ancient? I do feel rather awkward calling you… 'Ancient'. Surely, you have another name, other than 'Ancient', I should say?"

The vampire did not look up from what he was reading. "I'm afraid that it is the only name that I have answered to for countless years. It will have to suffice."

Forester cleared his throat again. "Of course… ah Ancient. If I might inquire, what is it that you are you reading?"

With raised eyebrows, the Ancient shifted his gaze back in the direction of his unwilling guests. "This book? It is just something that I acquired a few days past. Something that I have been meaning to examine in further detail. I must say that I am glad to have finally found the time to do so."

Forester's openly curious expression served as well as any verbal query.

The vampire tilted his head slightly. "This book provides some measure of expanded detail of the current ruling Emperor of Cyrodiil and his heir. It covers the broader historical record, to be sure. However, it also provides some interesting commentary upon a variety of related matters."

Forester frowned lightly. "You were not already aware of those things?"

The Ancient returned a neutral expression. "Only the broader detail. The full extent of my direct awareness could easily have been summarised to fit upon a single page. Though possibly biased in certain places, this tome unexpectedly provides for some far greater insight."

"Greater insight? How so?"

The vampire paused a moment, seemingly considering the question. "I believe that it serves to illuminate some of the motivations of this Titus Mede. I think that I may have gained some greater insight into what I had considered to be failings on his part. It seems that certain matters may have involved somewhat more… nuance, than I had previously thought."

Though Alex was obviously listening, his expression appeared affected to indicate otherwise. Forester's expression of confused interest served as sufficient encouragement to prompt the Ancient to continue.

"The commentary of this author highlights how the motivations of Mede had notably changed and adapted since his initial ascendancy. Perhaps encouraged by other interested parties, those who played some part in his rise to power, it seems that he firstly set out attempting to model his goals upon those of the first Emperor of the Septim Dynasty." He paused a moment. "After striving to establish unity within Cyrodiil, he then looked to the other provinces. When he firstly began that task, it probably appeared more achievable. Skyrim, High Rock and Valenwood seemed relatively amenable to persuasion. Perhaps each of those provinces, for slightly differing reasons. With some military persuasion, reforging alliance with Hammerfell also proved achievable. What remained of Morrowind, though burdensome, provided no direct opposition to peaceful unity across the provinces. However, those three remaining provinces presented far greater challenge."

Forester interrupted. "All of that is perfectly common…"

The Ancient cut him off with a raised hand. "Everything in proper context. It seemed that it was immediately after that first portion of rebuilding an Empire across all of Tamriel, that Mede began to deviate from initial inspiration. The first Septim Emperor waged continued campaigns to force a unified Tamriel. Though it consumed time and resources, Septim pressed on until the task was fully achieved." He set the book down upon the barrel. "The state of affairs of previous decades presented somewhat differently. Elsweyr had become fragmented. There was no central leadership… no living Mane in place to persuade all the Khajiit to follow a single voice. The lands of the Black Marsh remained seemingly untameable in rebellion. The rise of the separatist movement of the Summerset Isles presented a similar circumstance."

Forester spoke again. "All of that was well beyond the Emperor's control."

The Ancient continued with a nodding motion. "Granted. I cannot disagree. Mede inherited each of those circumstances. At the same time, it seemed that the barely restored Empire perhaps lacked the resources and will to wage sustained campaigns upon multiple fronts. I can see that Mede was caught in a situation that forced him to weigh the cost of pressing on with unsustainable action versus that of delayed or alternative action."

Forester shook his head mildly. "What exactly are you trying to illustrate? How could Emperor Mede have acted otherwise."

The Ancient maintained a thoughtful expression. "In retrospect of course, the rise of the Thalmor clans, taking full control of the Summerset Isles… that represents a point of failure on the part of the Empire. No matter who it was sitting upon the Ruby Throne of Cyrodiil at the time." He paused to raise his hand, staving off interruption. "Yes, I understand that Mede was in no position to alter that circumstance. I can also see that certain things had to have been in motion for some time beforehand. Perhaps since before that brief period of custodianship under that Ocato and most likely during the rule of that last Septim Emperor." He paused again. "Yet what followed next provided great impediment to the thought of reuniting all of Tamriel under a single banner. The subsequent annexation of the Valenwood and the declaration of a new Aldmeri Dominion. That forced Mede to reconsider his goals."

"Everyone knows what happened." Alex's tone sounded sharp.

Forester offered a glance of warning.

The Ancient continued without perceived offence. "The knowledge of 'what' transpired, might well be less enlightening than understanding 'how' those things came to pass, or more importantly, 'why' they came to pass." He paused just a moment. "For the most part, I had previously considered that your Emperor was managing rather poorly in efforts maintain an orderly circumstance across Tamriel. However, I can now understand just a little more of what he must have held in consideration."

Forester offered his thoughts. "From my own observations, it seems that the Emperor has done the best that is possible with the current circumstances. At the least, as much as can be achieved at this time."

The vampire nodded slightly. "Yes, at this time. I can see that the current strength of his Empire is likely insufficient to directly oppose the regime upon the Summerset Isles. Mede does not have the same measure of resources that were at the disposal of the first Septim Emperor. In that time, Alinor was the last land to be pressed into the fold of Empire. In this time, it was among the first to break away." He paused again. "I am not discounting those souls of Skyrim, High Rock and Hammerfell, or of Cyrodiil itself. However, Mede cannot call upon the sorcerers of the Great Houses of Morrowind and seemingly holds no ancient Dwemer artefact of power to utilise. Nor can he call upon the ferocious tenacity of Argonian or Khajiiti warriors in great number. Instead, he seems to have taken some mindfulness from considering the nature of his adversary."

"The Aldmeri Dominion, you mean to say?" Forester sought clarification.

"Yes, of course. Understanding the motivations of that adversary appears key to informing the path ahead. The Altmer of the isles will undoubtedly be taking the long-view in planning for the future." He idly raised his right hand. "Though the Khajiit had been brought into play during times long past, it seems even that nascent Aldmeri Dominion cannot see a ready path to taming a fragmented Elsweyr. However, that fragmented land appears to serve as a buffering of sorts between the Empire and the Dominion. Though I still expect that circumstance likely to change in the future." He paused to lower his right hand, raising his left in its place. "At this time, the Argonians will bow to no outsiders. That being the case, the Black Marsh stand neither with nor against either side in any state of open conflict."

Forester frowned. "There is no state of open conflict."

The Ancient nodded with an almost enthusiastic expression. "Quite right, quite right, and that is quite interesting. At this time, Mede's Empire may not be well placed to pacify the combined lands of the Summerset Isles and the Valenwood. At the same time, that Aldmeri Dominion might not be well positioned to do any more than hold their borders. At this moment in time, a stalemate of sorts holds sway."

Forester responded again. "Though possible conflict might be looming, the Emperor has managed to maintain a state of peace."

The Ancient maintained an enthusiastic tone. "Yes, yes, but it is a rather clever sort of peace. The Empire is not ready to openly move against the Aldmeri Dominion and the reverse is also true at this time. Both sides seek time to build and consolidate. Open conflict would surely undermine the delicate balance in place. If the Thalmor clans sought to take Elsweyr by force, that might sway the Argonians from their current neutral position. Conversely, if Mede's Empire moved directly against the Aldmeri Dominion, then the Kingdoms of Elsweyr and Argonians of the Black Marsh might be swayed in response of Imperial assault upon independent lands."

Though Alex was clearly trying to maintain a sullen tone, some curiosity leaked through. "You got all that from reading that book?"

The vampire raised his eyebrows. "Well, much of it. As I suggested, the commentary of this author is quite… illuminating. I can now understand how this Titus Mede has cautiously set certain things in motion. He responds to an adversary, which strikes from the shadows, actively seeking to avoid broad-scale warfare as the seeds of distrust and dissatisfaction are sown amongst friends and allies." He paused just momentarily.

Alex rested his eyes as the Ancient droned on. Forester seemed just as weary, but managed to maintain the outward appearance of attentiveness.

"The adversary sends spies and assassins to chip away at his Empire and so Mede assembles spies and assassins of his own as he works toward the gradual rebuilding of his Empire's strength and defences. A fragile peace of sorts has been brokered with the Argonians of the Black Marsh. Though not strictly allies, they do not stand as enemies. The negotiation of trade treaties with some of the Khajiiti Kingdoms represents an interesting tactic, luring portions of that land to friendly relationship with the Empire, one piece at a time." He paused. "It seems that Mede has managed to navigate these circumstances over some three decades. The appearance of peace disguising a prolonged war of shadows. Still, it remains unlikely that Mede could possibly see all of it through to conclusion. Given his advanced years, I should expect that he could not last much longer. I should expect that all of it would upon the shoulders of his heir, the Crown Prince."

"Prince… Prince Attrebus." Alex's outburst was accompanied by a physical jolt as he opened his eyes. His movement startled Forester. Evidently, Alex had been very near to drifting off to sleep.

The Ancient continued. "Yes, Prince Attrebus. The impressions that I gained from your memories tend to support what the author of this book suggests. Mede has been grooming his son to take his place and continue in support of what has been set in motion. Perhaps he will manage to succeed over the passage of time. Perhaps it will fall to his own offspring to complete the task."

Sounding quite weary, Forester commented. "I believe that the Prince will rise to the task, when the time comes."

"Time will tell." The Ancient's tone remained even.

A moment of prolonged silence passed. Alex had closed his eyes again, but he was still awake. Forester managed to keep his heavy lids aloft, gazing toward the vampire and wondering what he going to say next.

The Ancient casually reached for the book upon the barrel. "It seems that both of you require further rest. I would urge you take advantage of the opportunity."

Alex opened his eyes again.

Forester released a sigh. "You are probably right."

The Ancient nodded slightly. "As before, you have my word. No harm will come to you under my care and I will wake you if any new developments arise." He paused. "In the meantime, I will return to the task of completing the reading of this tome."

Forester returned a wearied nod. He shuffled away from the wall so that he could lay back down upon the stone with his head upon that makeshift pillow. He glanced toward Alex. His friend had his eyes closed and appeared near to sleep. Still, Alex seemed determined to remain in that seated position against the wall. Forester drifted off almost as soon as he closed his eyes.

~O~


	17. Chapter 17

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 17

Morndas the 31st of Frostfall 4E50 Early Hours

After Baywater had departed to go find his superior officer, Monika, Rena and Ras'Dar followed the female Inspector along the circular path up to the tower levels above.

Along the way, noting the lingering odour that followed them, Greenbrook diverted to that same armoury they'd visited earlier on Sundas afternoon. At the Inspector's direction, both Monika and Rena discarded the soiled leathers and boots. However, because Monika had firmly insisted that they'd be going back down into the sewers later in the day, they were issued with fresh replacements.

Of course, Ras'Dar's custom-shaped steel boots were of far less concern at that time. His boots weren't really the source of much of the odour and they could be properly cleaned easily enough. It was probably more the case that the Khajiit himself could do with cleaning up at that moment.

They didn't waste any more time than necessary before continuing onward to the levels above that location. Just as Greenbrook had suggested, she found vacant guest quarters up on the fifth level of the tower. A guard stood by the door of the adjacent room. There was no indication of who it was that might be behind that door. The Inspector employed no subtlety as she instructed that guard to keep watch over both those doors within his immediate view.

Lighting a candle from the flame of the torch set upon the wall outside, Greenbrook ushered her charges into the guest quarters, then ignited some of the other candles and lamps just inside.

After pointing out the amenities available and checking that nothing else was needed, she departed, leaving the three Guild Fighters alone. Of course, they were perfectly aware that the guard outside wasn't there for their protection, but to ensure that they didn't wander off unescorted.

That guest suite was rather similar to the one that Monika and Alex had briefly stayed in more than two years before. Presumably, the quarters that Forester occupied at the same time were much the same.

During Ras'Dar's brief detention in the tower after he and Belwen had firstly arrived in Cyrodiil, he'd seen nothing more comfortable than those rather austere meeting rooms.

Though she'd been told of those guest quarters in the tower, Rena had not previously seen them for herself. Under different circumstances, she might have been more interested.

The guest quarters were obviously intended to suit the requirements of Imperial officials or other nobility visiting the White-Gold Tower. They were comparable or even better than the best rooms of the most opulent inns of Cyrodiil. Perhaps only the Tiber Septim Hotel or Chorrol's Empire Inn could provide match.

The main area was open and spacious with sitting room and dining tables. The chairs and sofas were well padded and constructed of detailed workmanship. Quality rugs lined the stone floors. There seemed an unnecessary measure of adornment in the form of paintings, pottery and other assorted items of decoration. There was also a well-stacked bookshelf by the wall on the left-hand side.

The rear right-hand corner featured a bedroom area set behind wooden partitioning screens. In the other corner, an opening in the stone wall led to the well-appointed bathroom facilities.

Presuming that the Khajiit wouldn't be too long, Monika and Rena allowed Ras'Dar to go make use of the bathroom facilities first. Though nothing was said, it was fair to presume that the odours following him were beginning to become more notable in that environment.

Before long, Ras'Dar had finished cleaning up and returned to take to a comfortable chair in the open sitting room area. He'd left his hurriedly cleaned steel boots off, but otherwise kept himself fully armoured as though he was expecting to be back in action before very long.

Monika and Rena took turns to make use of the bathroom before also dressing in the leather armour and settling back in the sitting room.

By that time, Ras'Dar had dozed off in the comfortable chair. Rena settled into another padded chair, but she didn't seem quite so comfortable. Monika sat across from her friend on one end of a padded sofa. Both women rested quietly, but resisted the call of sleep.

Rena broke a lengthy period of silence. "How long do you think we're gonna have to wait?"

Monika opened her resting eyes. "Dunno. Not too long. I hope."

Rena stifled a yawn. "I'm just about done, but can't sleep. Don't wanna sleep." She rested her eyes again.

After a lethargic pause, Monika responded. "No. Me neither. Just rest a bit. Until we get word." She glanced to Ras'Dar, noting the subdued purring noise coming from the sleeping Khajiit. She closed her eyes again, wondering whether Ras'Dar's quiet snoring would keep her awake or lull her to sleep.

Unaware of how much time had passed since Monika had last spoken, Rena seemed on the verge of giving in to the call of sleep as a new noise suddenly brought her back up to a sluggish state of awareness.

The gentle knock came from the door, before it opened just wide enough for the recognisable face of Prince Attrebus to peer through into the quarters. He raised his eyebrows above tired eyes. "May I come in?"

Rena stared for a moment with her mouth half-open.

Responding to noise and movement, Ras'Dar awoke, but was still blinking his eyes as he tried focus upon the visitor at the door.

Monika spoke, rising from the sofa. "Of course."

"Please, don't get up." Attrebus motioned with his hand as he closed the door.

Monika reluctantly returned to the sofa. "We… we didn't expect…"

"One of my people alerted me to your return. Just found out where you were." The Prince came over to sit down next to Monika upon the padded sofa. He was dressed quite plainly. At first glance, his shirt and trousers appeared rather ordinary. Only a second look revealed that the fabric was probably of finer quality than the outfit indicated. His fair coloured hair seemed a little messy and his expression carried a measure of wear.

Ras'Dar had shifted uncomfortably in the chair several times, before adopting what he considered to represent a posture of respectful attentiveness. He remained otherwise silent.

Looking to Attrebus though tired eyes, Monika spoke again. "We ah, we… Forgive me, but you look a bit ah…"

"I'm looking haggard, I expect. Not much sleep. Maybe only a couple of hours. But more than you, I expect." The Prince shook his head.

Monika returned a weary nod. A couple of hours of sleep would have seemed like a really good idea to her, under better circumstances.

Rena spoke up. "Prince Attrebus, you know what's happened?"

The Prince returned a quick nod. "My father was called to meet urgently with a Chief Inspector. I might not have learned of it so quickly… Well as I said, one of my people alerted me."

Rena's expression easily served as sufficient encouragement for him to continue.

Treb nodded. "Yeah, well ah… the Emperor met with a Chief Inspector and that one who went off with you… Baywater. I think I have the full picture."

"The bargain… with the vampire?" Monika prompted him.

Attrebus nodded grimly. "I added the weight of my own concerns to the discussion. If it means getting Alex and Forester back, as well as getting those assassins… well, the Emperor and the Penitus Oculatus are willing to agree to it."

Both Monika and Rena appeared visibly relieved to hear those words.

Treb looked directly to Monika. "That vampire… or ancient vampire or whatever… you think he can be taken at his word?"

Monika seemed of two minds. "Yeah ah, up to a point… I think. From ah… from what we saw, I think he coulda just killed us all, if that's what he wanted to do. But he didn't."

The Prince noted something else. "Baywater seemed to think that the vampire carried himself like Altmer nobility or something like. Said he seemed to be openly disappointed over the regime controlling the Summerset Isles and real dogged about his personal word of honour… like it was unquestionable." His expression signalled that he was seeking her opinion.

Monika glanced to Rena, nodding slightly. "Can't say whether he used to be a noble or something, but yeah… he did go on about his word… and he did seem to be keeping to it."

Rena weighed in. "Was real talkative with Forester. And yeah, no, he didn't seem real happy about the Aldmeri Dominion. Still, I wouldn't think he's about taking anyone's side but his own. Real arrogant bastard, but seems to insist on having some sort of code of honour."

Monika nodded. "Yeah, some sort… Reckon he'll honour the terms of the bargain, if we do the same, but beyond that ah… dunno."

Attrebus frowned. "You think he's a serious threat?"

Monika shrugged. "Think he could easily be a threat, if he wanted to be. Says he just wants to retrieve some personal item and be on his way."

The Prince nodded. "That's what Baywater said. Thinks there must be more to it."

Monika tried not to yawn. "Could be. Only know what he told us."

Treb waved his finger, gathering some thoughts. "Something else Baywater mentioned. He said that the vampire seemed to know a lot about what was going on right at this moment. Like maybe he had access to informants or spies or something like that."

Monika shook her head absently. "Been thinking about that… a bit. That vampire knew a few things about each of us. Personal things. More like things we coulda told him."

Rena shot a quick glance. "We were out of it for a bit. After we got blindsided and knocked out by some sorta magic."

Only shaking his head, Ras'Dar remained quiet.

Attrebus had been looking to each of them expectantly.

Monika frowned. "I'm wondering if maybe we weren't knocked out near as long as we thought. Maybe that ancient vampire used some sort of… I dunno… enthralling magic."

Rena completed that notion. "And just got us to tell him everything?"

Monika nodded. "Yeah. And then made us forget all about it."

Ras'Dar looked alarmed. "This one cannot remember if Khajiit was made to forget."

Monika responded. "Yeah well, that'd be the point of it. That sounds like something either real useful or real dangerous… depending on whose side he's on."

Leaning forward, Attrebus nodded thoughtfully.

Ras'Dar intently watched each of the others, wondering who would break the prolonged moment of silence.

Rena tried to look more alert than she felt. "So, we going back down there?"

The Prince leaned back on the seat. "No, not just yet, but soon. In another couple of hours, I'd say. The Penitus Oculatus need some time to prepare. Messages are being sent out to posts about the city."

Rena appeared alarmed. "But…?"

Treb held up a hand. "No, no, I understand. Only the four of you can return to the place specified by the vampire… to make the arrangements to get Alex and Forester back and then take custody of those assassins. It just needs to be clear that everyone else keeps out of that. Also need to be ready to move quickly if the word comes. We don't know for certain where they'll be."

"And the vampire?" Monika prompted.

The Prince nodded. "Like I said. The bargain is acceptable, so long as Alex and Forester are returned unharmed and those assassins are delivered."

"And after that?" Rena suspected something more.

Attrebus shrugged mildly. "He'll get his free passage, at least to begin with. Can't say the Penitus Oculatus won't try to track him or go after him later."

Monika frowned over tired eyes. "The vampire probably already suspects something like that. I'd reckon that he'll have plans to keep ahead of them."

Treb nodded. "Yes, from what you've said, I'd agree with that."

Another knock came from the door. Heads turned in that direction.

The slight framed woman with the mousy brown coloured hair appeared in the doorway. She looked slightly surprised. "My Prince. Inspector Greenbrook, my Prince. Forgive me. I don't mean to intruded."

The Prince waved her inside. "Something to report?"

Returning a curt nod, Greenbrook pushed the door closed before stepping closer and adopting a formal stance. "Inspector Baywater sent me to advise the Guild Fighters…"

The Prince held up a hand. "I've already briefed them… Unless there's been any change of plan?"

Greenbrook appeared slightly off balance. "Ah well… no. I don't think so. Inspector Baywater advised that the Guild Fighters should be ready head out by six."

Attrebus looked to Monika and Rena.

Monika responded. "We'll be ready."

The Prince returned his gaze to the Inspector. "Anything else?"

Greenbrook continued to appear ill at ease. "Ah, no. Nothing else, my Prince."

"Good enough." Treb's tone and expression served as adequate dismissal.

"My Prince." Greenbrook returned a respectful nod and turned to take her leave.

Attrebus stifled a yawn, then rose from the sofa. "Well then, I should leave you to get some rest, if you can."

Monika returned a weary nod.

Rena spoke again. "Prince Attrebus, thank you... for your help."

Treb responded with a forced grin and a shake of his head. "I brought all of you into this mess. Thank me when it's over and everyone is returned safely."

No one argued with him, merely returning respectful nods of acceptance.

The Prince turned about and left them to rest up before heading out again.

* * *

Forester was woken by a sharp tap against his left boot. He quickly realised that it was only Alex attempting to rouse him. Trying to remain quiet, he looked up to the Nord through bleary eyes.

Alex was still sitting up against the stone wall as before. Whether he'd also been asleep was not immediately obvious. His silent nod directed Forester's attention over toward his left-hand side.

Forester lifted his head enough to see over Alex's legs. He presumed that the tall shadow at the periphery of dim light cast by the lantern was the Ancient vampire. A second shadowy figure slipped away into the darkness as the Ancient turned about and proceeded to step back into the pool of light.

Still carrying that book, the vampire walked over toward where the lantern sat atop the barrel before pausing to speak. "I intended to wake you momentarily. However, I can see that it is not necessary." He set down the book on top of the barrel next to the lantern.

Alex watched their captor intently, but said nothing.

After once again shuffling to adjust his position so that he was sitting up next to Alex, Forester stifled the urge to yawn. "Should I take it that there have been fresh developments?"

Standing to one side of the barrel, the Ancient folded his arms at his back. "Yes. I can say that the Valenwood Bosmer have been secured. Well, all but one, I should say."

Forester frowned. "Did one escape?"

The vampire raised his eyebrows. "Oh no, nothing like that. One of the five managed to ingest a potent poison, evidently preferring death to captivity. The other four have been relieved of such things and securely bound, ready to be delivered to Imperial authorities at the proper time."

"I see. And has there been any word from…?"

The Ancient understood what Forester was asking. "Not as yet. I do expect to learn of the return of your comrades in the coming hours. Preparations have been made."

"Preparations?" Alex's haggard voice carried a tone of concern.

The vampire returned a dismissive expression. "Nothing to alarm yourselves over. I have merely ensured that your comrades will have the means to communicate acceptance of the terms of the arrangements."

Forester cleared his throat. "Was anything of note learned about those assassins?"

The Ancient affected a pensive expression. "There had been no opportunity for proper examination. It might only be observed that they do not seem notably clever."

Forester's raised eyebrows prompted him to continue.

"My associates noted that they seemed in disarray and uncertain of how to proceed in the current circumstances. I might reasonably conclude that the Valenwood Bosmer were despatched as disposable pawns, with no proper plan of escape, were they to succeed with their attacks."

"You don't think that they were expected to succeed?"

The vampire waved an open hand. "I would expect that aspect to remain uncertain. I would not even expect those Bosmer to know." He paused. "If I were to speculate… I might believe that the Valenwood Bosmer were despatched with the intent of prodding the defences of Imperial leadership. Whether they proved successful, either in part or otherwise, might well have been considered immaterial. In any case, I should think that they were not expected to survive. In fact, I should think that more might have been done to ensure that they did not."

Alex's croaky voice was heard. "Assassins for assassins."

The Ancient tilted his head in tentative acceptance. "Perhaps."

Forester responded. "Do you believe that someone else was sent to ensure they do not speak?"

A mild shrug preceded a response. "I've not detected others down here."

Forester made an idle suggestion. "Perhaps, one of their own number was not necessarily… one of their own number."

"Perhaps." The Ancient tilted his head. His aspect shifted, indicating that his interest in the topic had grown diminished. "I expect that the Imperial spies will make their determinations."

Forester shifted uncomfortably upon the stone floor. With his manacled hands, he reached for the water flask, then decided to leave it where it was.

The Ancient cast his gaze over Forester and Alex, drawing what seemed an obvious conclusion. He shook his head just a little. "Very well. I do hope this is the last time."

After shooting a serious expression in Alex's direction, the vampire stepped over to Forester. He reached down and hoisted him to his feet. As he'd done before, the Ancient lifted and guided Forester over to that corner and allowed him a few moments to relieve himself. After returning Forester, without asking for opinion, he repeated that procedure with Alex. After that, the Ancient retreated to again stand by the barrel.

After having relieved the pressure below the belt, Forester felt more comfortable quenching his thirst. Evidently feeling just as thirsty, Alex provided no objection to accepting the flask. It was near to empty as Forester returned the stopper and set it back down between them.

Clearing his throat loudly, Forester broke the uncomfortable silence. "Before all of this, the only vampires that I'd encountered had seemed… well, little more than the predatory beasts of the wilderness. Both in appearance and nature. At best, perhaps presenting as murderous rogues."

Not appearing to take any offence from the comment, the Ancient merely raised his eyebrows slightly. "I do not find that surprising. I expect that you have encountered only lesser vampires. Even then, only in your capacity as a hunter."

"Well, yes. That would be true. Given that I'd been sent to dispatch them, I might suppose that I could hardly expect any different. Still, none of them seemed particularly… civilised."

"Again, hardly surprising. Even those firmly bound by clan leadership tend toward the unruly and undisciplined, when left to their own devices. Those unbound by such restriction… Well, by any reasonable measure, I hold them in rather low regard."

"So, I take it that you were… bound by clan leadership?"

"Yes, quite." The vampire adopted a neutral expression.

"But not always a leader?"

A moment passed before he responded. "No, not always. For some time, I was but a member of my clan. Circumstances eventually led to my… ascension as Ancient. In further time, I assumed the role of leadership of what remained of my bloodline clan." He paused to shake his head. "Be assured that such things no longer hold my interest."

Forester seemed inclined to press a little further. "Who were you? Before you became known only as 'Ancient'?"

"As I told you, that is the only name I have answered to for countless years." There was just a touch of annoyance in his tone.

"Well yes, of course. However, before you became… an Ancient… Well, surely?"

The vampire paused a moment before choosing to respond. "I did once answer to another name. A name taken after my transformation. During the time that I was firstly pressed into the service of a bloodline clan. That name is now perfectly meaningless." He paused to shake his head slightly. "To the best of my knowledge, that bloodline ends with myself. By this time, I am perfectly at peace with that circumstance."

Forester nodded his acceptance. "And before that? Before that… transformation?"

"That was a very long time ago."

"Were you of the nobility?"

The Ancient affected a bemused expression. "Hardly. I suppose that I was not impoverished, but hardly considered nobility."

Forester's expectant expression appeared to provoke something.

The vampire looked away, gazing off into the shadows. "Until recent… circumstances, I had forgotten much of that time. I suppose that those circumstances served to return some of those buried memories to the fore." He paused, then elected to continue. "In that previous life, I owned a small rural property outside of Lillandril."

Forester couldn't place the name. "Where is that?"

The Ancient returned his gaze to Forester. "Lillandril is a port city in the north-west of the Summerset Isle. Far north of the ruling city of Alinor. My farming property was located just a short distance south of the city."

Alex expressed his surprise. "You were a farmer?"

The Ancient inclined his head to one side. "Not precisely. My father was a farmer. Though I retained ownership and management of the farming property, I resided at my home in the city."

Forester raised his eyebrows. "A farm and a city home. That seems a sign of wealth, if not nobility."

The Ancient waved a hand dismissively. "No, not as such. By now I cannot clearly recall full detail. Only that the farming property did well enough during favourable times and that the city home was… rather modest."

"So then, you are firstly from the Summerset Isles." Forester recognised some notable significance in that. He took it as directly relevant to the Ancient's expression of disapproval over the current state of affairs in that region.

"Yes, during my former mortal existence."

"But not recently."

"No, not recently."

"So, I take it that you'd relocated to another part of Tamriel?"

"I'll not reveal the precise location of my current home. It is sufficient to say that I've passed more of my days in the Iliac Bay region."

"And you've not been back to the Summerset Isles?"

"Not for centuries."

"Truly? Just how long ago were you… transformed?"

The Ancient again adopted a thoughtful expression. "It was shortly before the rise of the first Septim Emperor. During a time of tumult across much of mainland Tamriel."

Forester made a silent calculation, drawing the conclusion that the vampire had to be more than five hundred years old.

The Ancient continued. "For a brief time, that part of the Isles enjoyed a period of relative stability. Earlier troubles had passed. The resistance against the coming Empire had yet to arrive."

Forester interrupted a brief pause. "Forgive me, but how did you… how were you… transformed?"

"Not by my own choosing." The Ancient affected a tight grimace. He looked away, seemingly calling upon elusive memory. "A portion of detail returns to me. It was near to this time of year. I was late in returning from a visit to the farming property. A discussion with the owner of the neighbouring farm and the operator of the stonemason's quarry over the flow of water from the stream had caused delay. It was early in the evening as I made my way along the road back to the city. After passing the timber mill, with my destination in view, I was set upon by a vampire." He paused. "I imagine that I expected to be killed outright or merely drained of life and left to die at the side of the road. I cannot recall. As it passed, I later learned that I was destined for a different fate. After a fashion, I suppose that I was rather more fortunate than I had believed at the time."

"Fortunate?" Alex's tone conveyed an obvious difference of opinion.

The Ancient raised his eyebrows. "Yes, after a fashion. Had I survived on my own and remained untreated, I might well have become transformed under more contentious circumstances. It is not uncommon for an individual to survive aggressive contact with a vampire and then later undergo transformation. In such circumstances, it is not unusual for friends and family to fall prey to initial blood-lust."

Alex frowned. "Did you…?"

"No. As I said, I was fortunate."

Alex shook his head, not quite following. "How?"

The Ancient seemed to gather his thoughts. "I was not set upon randomly or without purpose. I had been unwittingly drawn into the broader plans of another. Another vampire of Altmer origin, though not from the Isles. That vampire had been recently blooded by another Ancient. However, disagreement had led to rebellion. Afterward, the rebel had sailed southward from Iliac Bay to the Isles. Gathering both cattle and recruits from various ports, he meant to build a clan of purely Altmer origin. Of course, his intention was to wage conflict upon other clans. I later came to learn that such things were hardly uncommon. Whether I was firstly intended to serve as cattle or soldier… well, evidently I became the latter."

Absorbing the vampire's tale, Forester drew back to a possibly salient point. ""Forgive me, but… did you have living family in Lillandril… at that time?"

The Ancient met Forester's gaze. After a lengthy pause, he responded. "Yes, I did."

Beneath his frown, Forester's expression conveyed a measure of empathy.

After a pause, the vampire responded. "My mortal wife and son resided at our home in the city. Though hardly a simple matter, I consider myself fortunate that I was kept away from them after my transformation."

Alex looked to Forester. Though his circumstances were far different, Forester was also estranged from his first wife and son. He could tell what Forester might be thinking. Observing the vampire in a slightly different light, Alex asked the question first. "You never saw them again?"

The Ancient frowned. "More the case that THEY never saw ME again. I was presumed deceased and that was for the best. More than once, I had discreetly observed them from afar. During the evening hours. Of course, that was before we finally departed the Isles."

Forester raised his eyebrows. "And after that?"

The vampire gently shook his head. "No. I returned to Lillandril only once more, many years later. By that time, my mortal wife had passed from this realm. I found that the family holdings belonged to others. I did not actually learn what became of my son. I only held to the hope that he was able to prosper during his lifetime."

An expression of awareness washed over Forester's face. "The personal item. That thing you came to retrieve. I take it that it relates to your former family?"

The Ancient silently scrutinised Forester for a moment. "Yes."

Forester's open expression sought further clarity.

With a tilt of his head, the vampire reluctantly responded. "It is something of no consequence to others. A small token… an item that serves as a reminder… an anchor to retain memories…" He paused to shake his head slightly. "Memory fades with the passage of so many years. Even those that one might hold as important." He paused again. "At one time, I had kept journals to overcome that shortcoming. However, they were lost to me though misadventure. I have come to learn that there are other ways to…"

The Ancient suddenly fell silent and turned his head sharply, as though something had caught his attention. He looked off into the darkness. Neither Forester nor Alex could see or hear anything.

"A matter requires immediate attention. Forgive me." The Ancient vampire gestured toward them with both hands held out.

A forceful wave of drowsiness washed over both of them. Their positions against the wall kept them mostly upright as they slumped against one another, once again surrendering to a less than restful slumber.

~O~


	18. Chapter 18

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 18

Morndas the 31st of Frostfall 4E50 Morning

In the company of Inspector Baywater, Monika, Rena and Ras'Dar emerged from the Imperial Tower into the early morning light. It was almost half an hour past six in the morning as they passed through the ornate outer doors onto the western side of the elevated stone walkway encircling the White-Gold Tower.

Just near the guarded entrance to the tower, that timber platform where the Prince had begun his interrupted address stood abandoned. Of course, it was only a temporary structure destined for dismantling and removal. Though it hadn't been evident as they passed by during the hours of darkness, it seemed that drunken revellers had left their rubbish and their mark upon the structure. Given the circumstances of certain events of the previous afternoon, it seemed disrespectful. However, respectful behaviour was rarely the strongest instinct of drunken revellers.

Despite what had been observed during the earlier hours of the morning, it seemed that the skies had changed quickly and markedly. Directly overhead, much of the sky above had more or less cleared. Some receding cloud appeared to loom to the north and west. Evidently, that retreating cloud cover represented the inclement weather that passed over during the evening.

A subtle breeze circulated within the walls of the central district. Though not quite as chill as the winds that usually whipped across the Colovian Highlands at that time of year, the air still seemed notably cool. It seemed something of an indication that the unusually mild autumn was about to fully surrender to the coming of winter.

As the group rounded the girth of the tower, it could be seen that the cloud cover had also mostly cleared from the eastern sky. The sun was still far too low to peer over the high stone walls, but dawn had most likely just broken over the Valus Mountains.

As they made their way around to the far side of the Green Emperor Way, the morning light revealed even more of the mess that remained from the festivities of the previous day. Between the temporary vendor stands and other makeshift structures, various items of litter and refuse defiled the monuments of the open space of the central district. Discarded bottles and mugs had found unlikely resting places. Someone had managed to scale the post of a lamppost to set an up-ended bottle atop the spike above the lamp. It was reasonable to presume that all of that mess would be cleared away by the end of the day.

Smaller birds noisily chirped away in the trees of the Green Emperor Way. Beneath those trees of the open area, large crows challenged the pigeons for the best scraps left behind upon the ground.

In stark contrast to those noisy birds, the Imperial soldiers of the City Watch stood silent and weary by the gates leading to the outer districts of the city. Most looked like they had been there through the night and were just waiting for the watch to end.

Aside from the birds, at that moment, the only sounds of movement came from the boots of the Inspector and the three Guild Fighters as they marched around toward the south-eastern gates of the district.

Only a short while earlier, as planned and expected, Baywater arrived at that guest suite in the tower to meet with the other three. That was shortly before the hour of six.

Though Ras'Dar had managed to snooze a little before then, none of them appeared at all rested. At best, Monika and Rena had managed to rest a little, but neither of them had actually slept. Both appeared visibly worn.

The Inspector had already anticipated that circumstance. At his insistence, each of them took the special potions that he provided. Given the way that each of them had been feeling, only a minimal token of resistance was offered.

The potions remained unnamed, but Baywater told them what they would do for them. The special brews were concocted specifically for the kind of circumstances they were currently enduring. The potions would quickly alleviate the much of the effects of fatigue and sleep deprivation. Added to that, general stamina and endurance would be boosted for a period of a couple of hours. If necessary, a second dose could be taken, but a third was considered inadvisable. In any event, Baywater seemed confident that what they had would be enough to get them through the immediate task.

By the time that they'd made it down to the exit level of the tower, the effects of those potions had started to produce the promised result. Both Monika and Rena noted feeling like they had actually managed some proper rest over the previous hours.

Ras'Dar was actually moving along with a notable bounce to his step. The Khajiit seemed almost a little twitchy with the outward appearance of his generally heightened senses sharpened a little more than usual.

Of course, it was understood that the effects of those potions would only barely last long enough at attend the task ahead. Once those effects began to wear off, each of them would begin to feel far worse than before. With that in mind, they maintained a brisk pace.

Soon enough, Baywater was leading the group out of the central district of the city through the gates into the Arboretum District.

Entering the south-eastern district, it seemed somewhat odd that the birds of that garden area appeared either quieter or less prevalent than they'd been in the central district. It was unlikely that the grouping of soldiers in the gardens was related to that circumstance. It was just more likely that the easy pickings left behind in other parts of the city had attracted them elsewhere.

Though it might not have been completely out of place to see some other people about in the Arboretum District even at that time of the morning, it seemed that no one was around but for the guards and soldiers.

Following the curving stone pathway, the group of four marched by the monuments to Julianos and Stendarr, before arriving at the gathering of soldiers. That tent was still erected over the top of the tunnel leading down into the sewers.

It took only a moment for Baywater to find the soldier in charge. It was that same Legion Captain with a large nose who they'd encountered hours before. Like several of the other soldiers on duty, he looked like he was more than ready to be relieved by replacements.

Without fully explaining details unnecessary to the Captain's position, Baywater instructed him to continue watching over the sewer entrance. He was further advised to keep his charges out of the sewers until notified otherwise.

The Legion Captain accepted instruction with no observable opinion. It was somewhat likely that he was annoyed over not knowing any obvious reason for his orders, but it was just as likely that he was well past caring after the long watch through the evening. Added to that, he would have known that so long as he followed orders, whatever came to pass would not fall upon him if it went badly. Such was the lot of the rank and file of the Legion.

No further time was wasted. With two fresh lanterns on hand, one after the other, Baywater and the three Guild Fighters clambered through the open sewer entrance and descended the ladder down into the system below.

* * *

Forester awoke with a slight start. Blinking his eyes, he lifted his head from Alex's shoulder. It was obvious enough that Alex was already awake at his side. Neither man spoke at all. Both of them were still sitting upright with their backs to the stone wall. Apparently, they had remained slumped against one another as the vampire cast his spell. It seemed that their relative positions had been sufficient to keep them from falling over during their state of unconsciousness.

With weary eyes, Alex was looking toward the centre of the chamber. Forester shifted his gaze to look in that same direction. It was not immediately evident just how much time had passed since their captor had hurriedly rendered them insensate. Nor was there any indication of what might have occurred during that time.

The Ancient discarded a small flask, tossing it toward the pile of refuse in the far corner. It was obvious that he'd just finished topping up the reservoir of the oil lamp to keep it burning. He casually stepped to one side of the barrel that the lantern sat atop, looking back toward Forester and Alex.

The vampire maintained a neutral expression. "I do apologise for that. Forcing the sleep upon you. Given the urgency of the matter at hand, it was prudent."

"Matter at hand?" Forester's croaky voice prompted for more.

The Ancient's expression did not shift. "That is not your concern."

Alex's scowl conveyed a difference of opinion.

"The Bosmer assassins?" Forester was fishing for pertinent detail.

"As before, they remain secured and ready for retrieval." The Ancient picked up a folded parchment from the top of the barrel. "This will provide sufficient direction to their current location." He set the parchment back down atop the barrel next to the lantern.

Returning a nod of understanding, Forester cleared his throat. "Of course, I imagine that it remains dependent upon our comrades returning with news of official agreement… and they would still need to know how to find us here."

The Ancient nodded his head slightly. "Of course. Instructions have been set at the location where we first met. Those instructions will provide guidance to this location. Once they have rejoined you, from here you will be able to go take possession of those Valenwood Bosmer. For your part, that should provide satisfactory end to the matter."

Alex shot Forester a quick glance, indicating that something troubled him.

Forester thought he understood. With a mild frown, he held the vampires gaze. "I take it that you won't be remaining to conduct either of those forthcoming exchanges?"

A short pause passed before the Ancient responded. "No. I have other plans."

"Collecting your personal item?" Forester was trying to provoke further comment.

The Ancient held his gaze for a moment, before looking off to one side. "That matter is fully in hand." It seemed that he didn't care to elaborate further.

Forester allowed a lengthy moment of silence to pass before again clearing his throat in a noisy fashion. "Have you considered? Even with an agreement in place, that once we have been found… and those Bosmer assassins have been taken… well, the Imperial soldiers and the like may still come looking for you."

Inclining his head, the Ancient returned a neutral expression. "Yes, I expect so."

Forester's silent frown and half-open mouth served well enough to prompt.

The vampire affected a tight smile that never quite reached his eyes. "I can assure you, I should be well on my way by the time that the Imperial forces come searching for me."

Alex weighed in with obvious points. "All the sewer tunnels are guarded… and the city is full of soldiers and guards." He reasonably presumed that the vampire had already taken all of that detail from their minds earlier.

The Ancient appeared to remain unconcerned. "From this visit, I have come to know this city well enough. From my previous visits, I came to know of some of its lesser known secrets. With an appropriate delay in my favour, I remain confident."

Alex responded. "They will still be looking for you. You are a vampire."

Forester added a consideration. "Even under the cover of darkness…"

The Ancient reacted with slight amusement. "You have no experience of an Ancient of my kind, or even of other kinds. In milder doses, the daylight only serves to weaken somewhat. Though I could not pass all my days under the harsh summer sun, the milder winter daylight is hardly enough to confine all movement to darkness. I remain confident of passing for a living Altmer long enough to be on my way."

Forester still thought differently. "You do realise that Baywater would have provided an accurate description of your appearance? Soldiers and other agents of the Penitus Oculatus would be looking out for you across the Imperial City."

The Ancient shrugged mildly. "My appearance is hardly remarkable. Unless they mean to pursue every male Altmer in the city on the day after a festival, I remain one of a great many. Nonetheless, I am perfectly confident of my preparations."

Forester had noted something in the vampire's posture. "So, you are departing quite soon? Leaving us here in the sewers, of course, but also departing the Imperial City directly, I should say?"

The Ancient returned a subtle nod. "Yes, soon. Soon I will have retrieved what I came for and then I shall depart this city. With a minimum of fuss, I should hope."

Forester shook his head a little. "And then what… where?"

"I shall return to my place of sanctuary, of course." The Ancient affected a pensive expression. "If nothing else, though I prefer solitude over outside concerns… I do believe that I have perhaps a few fresh considerations to ponder. Matters normally outside my common interest."

Forester cleared his throat, as though about to speak, but then seemed to have decided otherwise.

The Ancient continued to expand upon his thoughts. "Added to that, I do believe that I have been reminded to return to taking greater care over those few that enter my private domain. A lesson I thought I had learned a long time past. Still, in this particular case, the resolution to my inconvenience has proved unexpectedly interesting."

Forester frowned. He seemed to be sorting his thoughts in preparation of a response.

The Ancient suddenly turned his head sharply, as though something had drawn his immediate attention. Nothing seemed obvious to anyone else present. He looked slightly upward into the dark corner above Forester's right for a moment, as though he could see through the stone walls.

"I believe that company will soon be on the way."

"Company?" Forester's query betrayed a hint of apprehension. He was hoping that it was nothing likely to provoke the vampire's ire.

"Your mates have just entered the extreme periphery of my perception. In the company of two others. The Khajiit and that Imperial Agent, I should think." The Ancient picked up that book he'd been reading earlier, tucking it under his arm as he stepped away from the barrel. He paused to look back toward his unwilling guests.

"So you are just leaving us here?" Alex remained suspicious.

The Ancient returned a slight nod. "Yes, unharmed as promised, to be found by your comrades. My word is my bond."

"So, that'sit?" Alex pressed him again, slurring his words.

"Yes, that is it." The Ancient shifted his gaze mildly toward Forester.

Forester took that to signify that he was about to take his leave. "I imagine that we won't be seeing you again?"

The Ancient shrugged mildly. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. Who can say? If nothing else, you have proved to be… entertaining guests."

Alex looked about to say something harsh, but chose restraint.

Forester cleared his throat again. "Yes well, you have been… well, not at all what I might have expected."

The Ancient returned a subtle nodding gesture, then straightening his posture, he held out his hand in their direction. "I recommend that you prepare yourselves for the sleep once more."

Forester released a sigh. "Is that necessary?"

"All part of my planning. Your companions will be here soon enough. There are no dangers in the vicinity. You will be perfectly safe until their arrival."

Forester briefly looked to Alex, then shuffled to shift himself so that he was again lying prone upon the stone floor. With a mixed expression of annoyance and resignation, Alex did the same.

The Ancient vampire gestured with his open hand and both men again succumbed to the call of restless sleep.

* * *

Crouching slightly, Ras'Dar halted just a few paces short of the darkened tunnel leading to that chamber where they had been taken and held by that vampire on the previous day. The subtle squelching noises of the boots behind him ceased as the other three stopped moving. His feline ears twitched as he peered into the darkness ahead. After a lengthy pause, his posture relaxed slightly.

Rena uttered an impatient whisper. "Anything?"

The Khajiit shook his head slightly. "This one cannot see or hear anything. Ras'Dar cannot say for certain that nothing is ahead."

Monika weighed in. "Doesn't matter. That's where we're s'posed to go."

With lantern in hand, Baywater remained silent, waiting for the delay to pass.

Ras'Dar turned his head to nervously look toward those behind him then offered a resolute nod, before returning attention to the way ahead.

With weapons at the ready in anticipation of the unexpected, following the Khajiit, the group moved forward with some measured caution. The narrow tunnel forced them back into a single line once more. Aside from the light from Rena's lantern that made it past Ras'Dar's body, the broader chamber ahead remained in relative darkness.

Up to that point, they'd observed nothing of concern since entering the sewers from the Arboretum District. Those large mud-crabs in that shallow canal were still there, but easily avoided. The various bugs and roaches crawling about in the shadows represented the only other signs of movement in the tunnels and chambers. It was mostly because they'd encountered nothing of consequence thus far, that there was some raised expectation of a change to that circumstance as they approached their immediate destination.

Once all four had emerged into the open space ahead, the light from the two lanterns provided better illumination of the chamber. The only observable sounds came from the liquids dripping from drains. At first glance, the place appeared untouched since they'd left it several hours before. The cut bindings were still lying upon the stone floor where they had been discarded. Though it may or may not have been the case, it did seem as though no one had been there since they'd departed.

Moving further toward the centre of the chamber, Ras'Dar nervously eyeballed the dark cavities in the ceiling above, perhaps expecting a vampire to drop down from one of the two larger drains. However, the only thing that came from above was the steady drip of dirty water.

Though hardly satisfied with the apparent circumstance, Rena had decided that they seemed to be alone in the chamber. "Nobody here. What now?"

"Dunno. Must be something." Monika gestured to the other woman, prompting her to hold up the lantern for better lighting.

Once Ras'Dar had shifted his attention from the obscure shadows where he suspected unseen danger, he spotted something more obvious to him. He pointed toward the old wooden crate by the stone wall at the furthest side of the chamber.

Rena's confused expression indicated that whatever drew the Khajiit's interest seemed far less obvious to her. She held out her lantern trying to see what eluded her less extraordinary senses.

With the improved light, Monika spotted the small object left upon the crate. "Looks like a scroll. Instructions maybe."

Rena took a step toward the crate.

"Careful." Baywater spoke up from behind.

Rena held position.

"Could be traps." The Inspector qualified his warning.

"Ras'Dar?" Monika looked to the Khajiit.

Ras'Dar's ears pricked up as he studied the situation. "This one cannot sense anything. A scroll on a box. Nothing else that Ras'Dar can see."

Monika nodded, though her expression carried a measure of doubt.

"Just looks like a scroll to me." Rena added her opinion.

Monika sighed. "Yeah. Reckon we're meant to find it." She briefly looked to each of others. "I'll do it. Just stand back a bit."

Baywater was already maintaining his distance. Both Rena and Ras'Dar made an effort to move back a little as Monika approached the crate. She gently poked the scroll and the crate with the end of her mace. Since nothing unusual occurred, she sheathed her weapon and leaned down to pick up the small scroll.

Monika briefly examined the outside of the rolled parchment. Written along one side, there was a message. It read, 'open to signify agreement'. Monika pulled away the binding thread and unfurled it. Before she had the opportunity to see what else might be written upon the inside, the scroll flared and dissolved to ash.

In that same moment, a light flared upon the pile of debris over behind where Baywater was standing. Ras'Dar seemed the most startled. His reaction served to startle the others. Though his did his best to maintain his composure, even Baywater appeared taken by surprise.

Atop the debris pile, a previously unnoticed candle had flared to life, drawing attention. Evidently, the scroll had been prepared with a spell to ignite the candle and possibly deliver another signal to some other location.

Ras'Dar was the first to spot what they were meant to see. "Another parchment." He pointed to the folded parchment fixed to a piece of wood next to the candle.

"What?" Rena shook her head in bewilderment.

"Distraction." Baywater sounded slightly annoyed.

Monika sighed and headed over toward the candle. Almost ignoring caution, she only briefly examined the parchment before removing it from its place and taking it up. She took a breath, then opened the parchment to see what it was about.

Unlike what occurred with the scroll, nothing happened when Monika opened the folded message. A moment of silence passed as she tried to see by somewhat insufficient lighting.

"Well?" Rena sounded impatient.

Monika shifted a little nearer to Baywater's lantern. "Looks like directions."

"Directions?" Rena prompted for more, taking half a step nearer.

"Doesn't say, but I figure it's gotta be directions to where to find Forester and Alex."

Lifting his lantern a little higher, Baywater leaned toward Monika to see the rough map. He pointed to something. "That would be the tunnel leading further into the sewers."

Ras'Dar shifted his gaze toward that tunnel, peering into the darkness.

Baywater pointed to the other significant mark on the parchment. "If that's where we're meant to go, it's not far from here."

Monika nodded her agreement. "Yeah, sort of. I think that's almost below this chamber, but off to one side... or back a bit." She gestured in the approximate direction with a nod of her head.

The Inspector seemed to agree. "I believe so. Looks like we'd need to cross over above that section, then go down and around." He traced it out with his finger.

Both Rena and Ras'Dar came closer to also take a look at the rough map, so that they were familiar with where they needed to go.

"Well, we heading out then?" Rena sounded anxious to proceed.

Monika returned a sharp nod. "Yeah. Need to be careful and stay alert. We don't know what to expect."

Rena shrugged. "Yeah, o'course."

Monika looked to the Khajiit. "Ras'Dar?"

Nothing more needed to be said. Ras'Dar understood exactly. He readied himself and started moving off toward the darkened tunnel. With weapons readied, the others followed behind, lined up in the same order as before, with the Inspector holding to the rear.

~O~


	19. Chapter 19

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 19

Morndas the 31st of Frostfall 4E50 Mid Morning

After descending the stone steps down to a lower level, Ras'Dar cautiously paused at the far side of another damp and dimly lit sewer chamber to consider the long dark tunnel on his right. Even with his superior eyesight, he could just barely make out the reinforced door at the far end of that passageway. With the limited light coming from those two lanterns behind him, the curving tunnel directly ahead seemed just as dark. It took only a moment for the Khajiit to decide that there was nothing of immediate concern in either direction. At least, not as far as he could tell.

From only a few paces behind, Rena spoke just loud enough to be heard. "We gotta take the tunnel straight ahead, don't we?"

Her tone caused Ras'Dar to briefly question his own certainty. Holding position, he kept his attention directed toward the dark tunnel in front.

Watching the Khajiit ahead of her and keeping an ear out for sounds of movement, Monika waited a short moment before responding to Rena's query. "Yeah. Think so. Straight ahead."

Also keeping his voice low, Baywater spoke up from behind. "That tunnel off to the right should lead to the sewers beneath The Market District."

Monika thought the same. "Yeah, according to those maps. Ras'Dar?" She drew the Khajiit's attention, then signalled for him to continue onward.

Thus far, they'd encountered no observable dangers, but proper caution remained a clear priority. At the very least, there was one notably dangerous vampire roaming the sewers beneath the city. Added to that, there was still the matter of those other vampires that he mentioned and no great certainty of there being nothing else of concern lurking about nearby.

It had been only a relatively short time since they had found the enchanted scroll and the parchment with directions. Leaving that chamber behind, the fairly short tunnel leading from there emerged onto an elevated stone walkway over the open space of a lower level situated immediately beneath.

The pools of light cast from those two lanterns did little to illuminate the volume of darkness below. However, Ras'Dar seemed to be able to see more than his companions. He assured them that he could see nothing more than piles of assorted debris upon the stone surface below. He still appeared observably concerned as he studied the darkened pipe outlets above and along the walls, but seemingly detected nothing notable.

Across the far end of that walkway, just by the tunnel entrance leading to the next chamber, Ras'Dar observed something immediately more suspicious. There was a mound of ash and bone upon the stone. Though he couldn't be certain, he didn't think it had been there all that long.

There was some passing speculation that it might have been the remains of one of the other vampires that the Ancient mentioned. After all, he had told them that those local vampires would be eliminated as part of his bargain. Whether that possible explanation for the ash represented a greater or lesser comfort might have varied for each of those present. In any case, they didn't waste too much time over the matter.

From there, they continued onward along that next length of tunnel to the adjoining chamber, descending the stone steps down to where those two darkened tunnels diverged.

A few crawling bugs scattered as Ras'Dar cautiously led the way along the curving tunnel bending around to the left. The path ahead appeared just as dark as what they left behind. Even with the two lanterns, the confines of the narrow tunnel seemed to accentuate the perception of that cloying shadow.

Reaching the end of the tunnel, Ras'Dar paused in a slight crouch. The light from Rena's lantern didn't reach well into the chamber ahead. It was just enough to provide indication of an unmoving shadow positioned several paces away. The Khajiit seemed less concerned over that shadow as he sniffed the air, briefly looking toward the dark mounds to his left. Though he didn't pass comment, from his flattened ears and expression, whatever he sensed seemed to immediately provoke a reaction of distaste. Given that they were in the sewers, that seemed notable.

A lengthy moment passed as Ras'Dar studied the inky darkness of the chamber, then he rose to full height and took a few steps forward. "This one thinks all is well."

With weapons still at the ready, both Rena and Monika stepped forward into the open space ahead. Baywater also stepped forward, remaining just by the tunnel opening.

The flood of light from the two lanterns revealed a chamber very much like the one above where they'd found those directions on parchment. The shadow near the centre of the chamber was revealed to be a large barrel with an unlit lantern sitting atop. Pointing with his sword, Ras'Dar directed attention toward the base of the wall on the right. Just near the halfway mark of the length of the chamber, the prone bodies of both Alex and Forester were laid upon the stone with rolls of cloth beneath their heads.

"Only sleeping." Ras'Dar sounded buoyantly confident.

Despite the Khajiit's suggestion, Rena's breath momentarily caught in her throat. She halted a few steps short of her husband, holding out the lantern.

After only a moment of hesitation, Monika sheathed her weapon and stepped forward, then kneeled down at Alex's side. Though clearly concerned, she noticed the subtle movement as his chest rose and fell with his breath. She took him by the shoulder. "Alex?"

He shifted with a slight start and his eyes fluttered open. He looked a bit surprised to see her face. "Monika? You found us."

"Yeah, found you." She pulled him up to a sitting position as she firmly embraced him for a lengthy moment.

Rena had put down her weapon and shield, leaving the lantern sitting upon the stone floor as she moved to Forester's side. The noise that he made in his throat indicated that he was stirring to wakefulness.

"You're alright?" Rena's voice cracked a little as she helped her husband sit up.

Forester cleared his throat as he blinked a few times. "Yes well, I will say that I've felt far better… but yes, quite unharmed."

Rena's expression was a mix of concern and relief. "I thought… I thought… you coulda ended up dead… or worse."

Forester tried to present a reassuring front. "Yes well, I'm pleased to say that it didn't come to anything like that."

Noting the Khajiit looking off into the darkness of the other tunnel leading out of that chamber, Baywater spoke up impatiently. "The vampire?"

Alex responded first. "Gone. Left us here."

It was only then that Monika took a quick moment to try to check him over for less obvious injuries or something worse. "You didn't try anything?" It was an oblique reference to his limited command of that dragon tongue ability.

Alex only shook his head with a serious expression. He didn't want to say anything more about it with Baywater around.

Rena locked eyes with Forester. "You sure you're alright? Not y'know… under the vampire's control or infected or something?"

Forester again blinked his weary eyes. "To the best of my knowledge, the Ancient remained true to his word. I believe that we're both perfectly fine… for the circumstances."

"You sure?" Rena pressed.

Forester tried to affect a reassuring grin. "Yes, I believe so. Aside from mild aches and pains… and feeling tired and thirsty and a little hungry, I should think we are fine." He shifted his gaze toward Alex.

Alex frowned slightly. "Are you sure? That we have not been infected… or somehow affected in other ways?"

Forester shrugged a little. "I do think we should take the proper potions and other precautions to be certain we are not afflicted by any vampiric disease, but otherwise, I expect that we should be fine."

Alex's expression remained somewhat ill at ease.

With a tight grin, Monika increased her grip upon Alex's left arm. "You'll be fine."

Alex returned a strained smile, holding up his bound hands. "Might be better… without this."

Monika stifled a dry chuckle. "Yeah, let's get those things off."

She proceeded to draw her dagger and use it to cut the bindings about Alex's wrists and boots. Rena did the same to cut the bindings about Forester's boots, then looked to how she was going to get those enchanted manacles off. The iron clamps weren't held by any locking mechanism or the like, but the bolts took some effort to work loose. Eventually, she managed to release him from the shackles.

"I might have to keep these things." Rena tried to lighten the mood.

Rubbing and flexing his wrists, Forester chose to ignore the facetious comment. "I don't suppose that you have water?"

Rena opened her ration satchel to retrieve her water and handed it over.

Without saying anything, Monika did the same for Alex. He took a few lengthy sips from her water flask.

Ras'Dar had finally shifted his attention from the dark tunnel, apparently satisfied that there was no immediate danger or other concern nearby. Even so, he maintained a position that permitted him clear line of sight to both exits from that chamber.

Appearing outwardly agitated, it seemed that Baywater had grown more impatient with waiting around. "What of the Bosmer assassins?"

Handing the water back to his wife, Forester cleared his throat. "According to the Ancient, they have been captured and secured. One is already dead… from taking a poison, but the other four have been secured at another location, ready to be retrieved."

Alex pointed to the barrel. "He left directions to follow."

Baywater moved directly to the barrel. Setting down his lantern next to the other one, he picked up the parchment to examine it. He held it up so that he could see clearly by the lantern light and rotated it, seemingly trying to make sense of the rough map.

"Are the directions clear?" Forester had got up to his feet. He was going over toward the wall to retrieve his satchel from the stone floor, where the vampire had left it.

Baywater took a lengthy moment to respond. With a frown, he rotated the map once more. "I think so. As far as I can tell, it's not close to here."

Though each of the others stood back a little, Forester stepped up close to the Inspector, withdrawing the rolled maps from his satchel.

"It looks like it's still in this section of the sewers." Baywater clarified.

Forester found the map of the Arena District section of the sewers and unfurled it to compare to the directions the Inspector was holding.

Despite the minor inconstancies between the two maps, the comparison quickly began to make sense. Baywater grunted as Forester pointed out their current location on the better map, not far from the lower left corner. He then pointed to what he believed to be the corresponding position of where the Bosmer were meant to be secured, close to the opposite corner of the map. Between those two points, the pathway along the connecting tunnels seemed terribly circuitous, passing back under and over and around itself.

Forester cleared his throat. "It seems to me that these two locations could not be situated further apart without taking us to an adjoining district."

Baywater returned another grunt, conveying both his agreement and his measure of annoyance with the circumstance.

"Just meant to delay us." Alex's sour mood from his period of detention remained in his tone of voice.

Forester nodded. "Yes well, that is to be expected. The Ancient was relatively open about that. Though keeping to his word, he means to delay us long enough to be free and clear as he goes upon his way."

Directing attention back to the map in Forester's hands, Baywater spoke again. "I'm fairly certain that location is just near the breach below the Arena's Bloodworks."

Forester returned a questioning glance.

Baywater qualified his comment. "I had time to go over further details back at the tower. During meetings with my superiors."

"So what are you suggesting?" Forester prompted further.

Baywater glanced to some of the others before responding. "We're almost closer to where we came down. There's nothing to worry about back in that direction. It would easier and quicker to go back that way and come down through the Arena." He paused to see if anyone thought differently. "We're going to need some soldiers anyway. To bring up four bound prisoners… and presumably one body."

Forester nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I expect that might be best." He looked about the others, before his gaze settled upon Monika.

Monika returned a weary nod. "Yeah, makes sense."

"What about the vampire?" Alex still sounded agitated.

Baywater responded tersely. "A secondary concern. All access in and out the sewers is still guarded."

Alex didn't appear satisfied with that response. "What if he has another way out of the sewers?" The Ancient had said something that suggested as much.

Baywater remained composed. "By now, other Agents will be informed of my description of his appearance. In turn, they will be passing those details onto the City Guard and other soldiers."

Forester interjected. "You do realise that he hardly appears remarkably different from any typical male Altmer… of his apparent age? With the festival… and so many people in the city at this time." Forester shook his head. "If you didn't know that he was a vampire… well, you wouldn't be likely to give him a second glance. He made a point of saying as much."

Baywater still appeared unconcerned. "As I said, a secondary concern. Nonetheless, the appropriate persons will be keeping an eye out for him."

Forester wasn't finished. "One other thing. From what the Ancient said, unlike most common vampires, he's not likely to be impaired by direct daylight."

Baywater nodded. "Already taken into account. My superior mentioned that possibility. He understands that some older and more powerful vampires are said to be resistant to the effects of sunlight for brief periods."

"Very well." Forester accepted the advice evenly, with only a mild expression of doubt upon his face. Whether his thoughts were for or against the apprehending of the ancient vampire remained unspoken.

From the look of it, Alex appeared rather less satisfied, but said no more, apparently resigned to the circumstance.

Monika released a heavy sigh. "Right then, we oughta get ourselves organised and get moving."

Ras'Dar also appeared anxious to be on the move again. Still, though his movements seemed fidgety and restless, something in his expression betrayed a growing battle with rising weariness. Presumably, he thought that all the waiting around was making that worse.

Without actually saying anything, Baywater's expression clearly telegraphed his concord with Monika's prompt to get moving again.

Rena swayed slightly and leaned heavily upon her husband. With the most pressing concerns eased somewhat, it seemed evident that a wave of wear and fatigue was beginning to wash over her. "About a second dose of that potion?"

Of course, the query was directed toward Baywater. A brief explanation followed for the benefit of those uninformed. Obviously, the Inspector had fully intended to imbibe a second dose of that potent revitalising potion as soon as he deemed it prudent. With the issue raised, he decided that it was time to do so.

Though Rena held no qualms over taking a second dose to keep going, Monika seemed more hesitant, before accepting that she might be unlikely to get through the following hours without it. Ras'Dar seemed of two minds as well. However, since he realised that there would be no time for resting, he chose staying sharp over fighting his own fatigue.

Both Forester and Alex declined the potion, suggesting that they'd managed enough rest to suffice. Though that forced sleep from the vampire's spells wasn't quite as restful as proper sleep, the accumulative effect from those multiple periods of brief rest seemed to be enough. Still, Forester did take a moment to cast healing magic over both Alex and himself, for the purpose of alleviating some of the minor aches and pains from their extended period of remaining bound upon the stone surface.

After properly gathering themselves together, they were soon on their way.

* * *

Perhaps no more than an hour passed before reaching that ladder leading back up to the access point in the Arboretum District. Of course, there had been no notable impediment to making good time through that part of the south-eastern sewers.

Along the way, Forester and Alex had quickly eaten something from the ration packs to ease a growing hunger. Before that, those two had consumed nothing but water since the previous afternoon.

As reasonably expected, there had been no fresh dangers to negotiate along the way. Aside from avoiding any disturbance to those large mud crabs in the shallow canal of the sewers below the Arboretum, there was nothing of particular concern down there.

The only real inconvenience came from having to once more traipse through the pungent muck of the canal, leaving everyone's boots again soggy and stinking. Of course, Forester was the most annoyed by that circumstance. Unlike most of the others, he was wearing his own boots and mithril armour was going to be far more difficult to clean than Ras'Dar's custom shaped steel boots. Everyone else's Imperial armory issued leather boots could be considered more or less disposable or a problem for someone else. Though he refrained from openly grumbling, Forester still wasn't sure how he was going to restore the condition of his boots. At the least, it seemed that particular inconvenience was likely to be the worst of things to come from the whole affair.

Emerging from the sewers, they again came into contact with the soldiers posted to guard that access point. Though the morning sun was shining and the skies were relatively clear, that tent was still erected over the open sewer entry, with the canvas flapping slightly from a cool breeze circulating through the Arboretum.

Once they were outside the tent, Baywater headed directly for the ranking soldier in charge. Apparently, that Legion Captain with the large nose had been relieved and replaced with yet another different soldier, an older Colovian man with receding gray hair.

Though the others followed closely behind Baywater, they let him do all the talking, since that seemed the easiest way for things to quickly proceed.

Only briefly explaining the simplest detail of the situation, the Inspector proceeded to commandeer the services of the Legion Captain and his men. Without wasting any time, the entire group were soon departing the Arboretum District, leaving just a token presence to guard that sewer access.

The other foot traffic was still rather light that morning. There were few people wandering the Arboretum District without purpose. Just a few headed through the open gardens of the area on their way to the Arcane University. An elderly Imperial woman kneeling by the monument to Divine Mara presented as the only notable exception.

The main pathway to the Arena District remained unencumbered. The only restriction to the clear passage of the larger party had been the need to form up in two lines to negotiate the guarded gateway between the adjacent districts.

On the other side of the district wall, parts of the Arena District still displayed some obvious signs of the previous day's festivities. A scattering of litter remained in places about the open grounds.

One of those places generally utilised as a sparring area for aspiring arena fighter trainees was still set up as a stage for the festival performers. Presumably, the people of the small group sitting about near there were meant to be looking to breaking down and removing those things. With obvious curiosity, they watched the procession of soldiers passing by.

With the Inspector leading the way, the party marched around past the stone statue of Saint Alessia to the front entrance of the Imperial City Arena, located on the western side of the circular structure.

A rotund and balding Breton man tidying inside the main entryway seemed momentarily startled at the arrival of another contingency of Legion soldiers. The metal gate at the entryway had not yet been opened. There was no obvious indication of whether the place would be operating that day.

The ample bellied Breton seemed annoyed over permitting even more soldiers into the Bloodworks. However, he really had little say in the matter. Once all of the members of the party were inside, he closed the entrance gate behind them and then guided the procession down into the Bloodworks. He led them past the competitor's quarters and training areas, until reaching a storage space, which partially obscured the breach in the stone wall leading down into the sewers. There were just two Legion soldiers still posted to watch that nothing come up from below.

Making mumbling noises of disapproval, the balding Breton man left them all behind to return to his own tasks.

Soon enough, the entire group was heading down through the breach. Though Ras'Dar might have been best suited to the task, two of the Captain's soldiers took to the lead. Baywater followed just behind the Legion Captain, but the Guild Fighters were relegated to keeping to the back of the procession.

Both the opening and the rough-hewn tunnel beyond were narrow enough that it forced them to pass in single file. That served to slow things down a little. However, after just a short distance, the passage emerged into a larger section of the sewers.

Dispersing from the end of the tunnel, they found themselves in an open space very much like those other sewer chambers with a shallow canal up the middle, a grated drain at one end and open sluice gate at the other. There was another typical stone walkway crossing over above the canal and raised sections of stone along either side.

They managed to find the Bosmer assassins easily enough. They were located in a smaller chamber situated just off to one side of the larger section. The dead one was laid out upon the stone floor near the entrance. The other four were bound and gagged and tied together. Two of them were left chained to a grating in the wall, keeping all four of them from going anywhere.

Of course, there was no real fight left in the Bosmer dissidents. Only cutting them free of one another and releasing them from the chains keeping two of them held to the grating, the four Bosmer remained bound and gagged as they were dragged out by the Legion soldiers.

Following Inspector Baywater's orders, the captives were to be taken directly to the Imperial Prison and placed in separated cells. The soldiers were instructed to avoid harming the prisoners any more than necessary and advised to keep them gagged. No one was to engage them in any manner other than agents of the Penitus Oculatus.

Speaking directly to the Legion Captain, Baywater advised him that the assassins would only be interrogated in the presence of a Chief Inspector. Of course, the Captain expressed no opinion. Though he was likely glad that the dissidents had been captured and would pay for their assault upon the Imperial household, his only remaining interest was in completing the task, so that he could be done with it.

Standing off to one side of everybody else, Ras'Dar had been focussing his senses upon the dark shadows beyond the reach of all the lanterns. Though he didn't speak of it, it was likely that he was suspicious of the possibility of magically cloaked vampires lurking and watching them. It was just as likely that he was only watching for large rodents or other such concerns. Either way, he didn't say.

Watching the soldiers dragging off the Bosmer assassins into the tunnel, Forester cleared his throat, addressing the Inspector. "So then, what now?"

Baywater returned a serious expression. "Back to the tower."

With a frown, Rena released an audible sigh.

Baywater responded. "There are matters to be settled."

Alex's weariness made his comment sound far more caustic than intended. "You have the assassins."

Monika seemed a little surprised by his uncharacteristic demeanour.

Baywater returned a stern gaze, but kept his tone even. "There are Guild contracts and payments to be sorted. As well as that, the Chief Inspectors will want further details of that ancient vampire. I expect that both of you know more than the rest of us."

Forester nodded in an exaggerated fashion. "Of course."

Baywater waited a short moment to see if anyone else had something to say. "I'll be coming with you, back to the tower. I need to report to my superiors, but I expect you'll be granted some time to rest before speaking with someone."

"Right then." Monika answered for everyone else.

Once all the soldiers were clear of the rough-hewn tunnel, Baywater and the Guild Fighters followed along behind, back up into the Bloodworks. With nothing else to delay them, they expected to be back inside the Imperial Tower within the hour.

~O~


	20. Chapter 20

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 20

Morndas the 31st of Frostfall 4E50 Late Afternoon

Forester stirred, shifting sharply. He'd only been sleeping rather lightly. He thought that he'd heard noises coming from somewhere outside. Looking about, he'd noticed that no one else had woken. Though she was right next to him upon the comfortable bed, Rena showed no sign that she'd been at all disturbed by his sudden movement.

A firm knock echoed from the solid wooden door of the guest suite.

Forester rose to his feet and padded across the floor of the spacious room toward the door. He opened it to be met by an Imperial Palace Guard. An earnest expression seemed to undermine the guard's appearance of authority. Added to that, he did seem unusually young to be serving in that position. It was fair to guess that he was the son of someone of notable importance or wealth or something like that. After apologising for the disturbance, the young guard advised him of the time and that someone would be along shortly to speak with them.

Forester thanked the guard and closed the door. He turned about to look to waking the others. It seemed that any further rest would need to wait.

After having played their final part in the apprehending of those Bosmer assassins earlier in the day, in the company of Inspector Baywater they left the Imperial Arena behind to return to the central district of the city. It was around noon by the time that they arrived back at the White-Gold Tower.

Some of them were perhaps far more weary than others as they climbed the spiral pathway about the inside circumference of the tower. Along the way, Baywater paused to speak briefly with someone who might have been another Penitus Oculatus Agent. A little further along, upon the third level of the tower, he spoke with someone else. Since he didn't directly speak of it, it wasn't immediately obvious who that second person might have been. However, Baywater did learn that a larger guest suite on the sixth level had been vacated earlier in the day by the family of visiting nobility only in the city for the Emperor's Day festivities.

As Baywater had suggested earlier, he expected that the Guild Fighters would be granted some time to rest before having to speak with someone. Apparently, he had taken it upon himself to see to it that it happened that way.

Recruiting a couple of younger guards along the way, Baywater escorted the Guild Fighters up to the vacant suite on the sixth level. One guard was advised to remain outside to see to it that they were not disturbed. The other was assigned to collect and take away the soiled and borrowed armour to be returned to the armoury.

After negotiating Forester's passing objection, that guard was also instructed to take his mithril boots to have them cleaned and restored by an armoury smith.

Soon enough, each of the five Guild Fighters were taking turns to make use of the bathroom facilities of the guest suite. There was no dispute over who took to which bed. Monika insisted that Rena and Forester take the large master bed. There were enough smaller beds for the rest of them.

With the effects of those revitalising potions rapidly wearing off, Rena, Monika and Ras'Dar seemed to only barely make it to the beds before surrendering to the insistent call of exhaustion and the remedy of heavy sleep.

Though both Forester and Alex were both quite tired, they were not nearly as exhausted as those other three. Resting gave way to slumber easily enough, but it was not such a deep sleep. At least, not for Forester.

After having been woken by the young guard, Forester roused Alex first. He awoke easily enough, seemingly expecting something like that. Together, they proceeded to wake the others. After some mild persuasion, Monika was awake and sitting on the edge of a bed, yawning and rubbing her eyes. Rena required a little more persuasion before she was actually sitting up and not just drifting off again after claiming she was awake.

Oddly, Ras'Dar seemed more difficult to rouse. He firstly resisted attempts to be called back to the waking world, like a fully inebriated drunkard. Then rather suddenly, the Khajiit leapt up to his feet in a burst of energised alert. That energy didn't last long. He retreated to sit upon a comfortable chair, where he began to look like he really did need far more rest.

Once Forester had informed them of the time, it was clear enough that some of them had managed perhaps no more than three hours of rest. Given that the guest suite was fully enclosed from the outside world, they would not have easily known the time, had that guard not advised Forester.

Only a short time passed before a second knock came from the door. By then, it would have been well after five in the afternoon, but still some time short of six. Before Forester had quite reached the door, a guard had opened it from the outside. An older man of unclear Imperial heritage stood in the doorway. He was dressed plainly, carrying a satchel slung over his right shoulder and holding a second satchel to his chest. Though his hair remained dark, there seemed very little of it upon his head.

Forester waited a moment for the other man to speak.

The older man looked back through pale blue eyes beneath dark bushy brows. "I will be the Chief Inspector to be speaking with you and sorting through the business at hand."

Forester nodded. "Of course. We were expecting someone like yourself." He stepped aside to allow clear passage.

The guard remained outside, pulling the door closed once the Penitus Oculatus Inspector was inside.

Noting that the older man never provided a name, Forester was gently reminded that none of the Chief Inspectors who he'd ever spoken with had identified themselves by anything other than 'Chief Inspector'.

The Chief Inspector made his way for the large dining table situated off to the right hand side of the entrance. "I could have had you brought to a meeting room. However in the current circumstances, it's perhaps easier to conduct our business here."

"Of course." Forester maintained an agreeable tone as he moved ahead of the Inspector to shift a few items on the table, ensuring a clear space.

Though moving more sluggishly, the others moved from their respective positions to come over to the large table. There were enough chairs about the table to leave two spare.

The Chief Inspector had soon pulled out various documents and laid them out upon the tabletop. Immediately in front of him, he placed an open book with handwritten notes, as well as his inkwell and quill. He then produced a second quill and inkwell, pushing both to one side. He waited only a brief moment until he thought everyone else was settled and attentive.

"Before we begin, I have been tasked with conveying the Emperor's gratitude for your service in the matters at hand."

Forester blinked in an animated fashion, without actually saying anything.

The Chief Inspector had more to add. "The Emperor understands that the assassination attempts were outside of the general purview of your responsibilities. He conveys that you are all to be commended for your part in the tracking and capturing of the foreign dissidents. He understands that it might not have been so successful without your efforts."

"Of course." Forester provided the only audible response. The others merely returned nods and other expressions of a similar nature.

Proceeding to business, the Chief Inspector handed over the prepared contracts to be passed around. Forester took the second quill and inkwell, moving them to a better position.

For the most part, the documents appeared to be standard Fighters Guild contracts, outlining the specific requirements and somewhat generous payment for the task.

The older man drew attention to an addendum at the bottom of each contract. "You will note that the contracts stipulate that no detail beyond what is already publicly known of the matters involved will be disclosed."

Looking about, Forester noted mild expressions of uncertainty upon the faces of some of his compatriots. "Precisely, what is… what is already publicly known?"

"There is an official statement." The Chief Inspector glanced to Forester, before referring to a specific document. "A group of foreign assassins performed failed attempts upon the personages of both the Emperor and the Crown Prince during the Emperor's Day festivities. Emperor Titus Mede and members of the royal household remain unharmed and well. All of the assailants involved have been either killed or captured."

Responding for the others, Forester nodded. "Understood. It would be fair to say that we really know little more than that."

The Chief Inspector returned a serious expression. "There will be no mention of an assailant within the Imperial Tower. Nor any mention of the perceived origins of the foreign dissidents."

Forester again blinked in an animated manner. "Yes well, I imagine that it has by now become common knowledge that all the assassins were foreign Bosmer. Presumably, from the Aldmeri Dominion."

The older man appeared resolute. "Be that as it may, there will be no mention of further detail that might add fuel to the fire of such speculation."

Forester nodded again. "Understood."

The other four Guild Fighters offered similar varied expressions of understanding.

The Chief Inspector unbound another sheaf of papers and passed them over to be shared about. "As per the instruction of the Emperor and the Crown Prince, a sizeable bonus will be paid as further token of recognition for the efforts and grave dangers endured during this particular service to the Empire and the Imperial household."

Looking to the large figure on the statement of bonus, Monika, Alex and Forester were not totally surprised, having previously been on the receiving end of a similar measure of generosity more than some two years before.

Rena seemed somewhat more surprised. By her passing recollection, there were some years that she had not managed to make quite that much from guild contracts between the period of two winters.

Ras'Dar appeared almost stunned by the statement of bonus. His feline ears twitched in concert with his eyebrows as he considered the total value of gold. To his thinking, he had merely come to the Imperial City to witness a great festival. Yet through uncommon circumstance, he would be leaving the city a wealthy Khajiit. Of course, there were not nearly enough septims in play to actually make him at all wealthy, but it seemed that way by his more modest standard.

The Chief Inspector spoke again. "I can arrange for the payment to be brought to you here or otherwise delivered to your respective Guildhalls."

Forester glanced about his comrades as he responded. "Delivery to our Guildhalls will be fine, I believe."

None of the others indicated any objection.

The Chief Inspector finished making a note in his journal. "With that business settled, that brings us to the secondary matter. That of the ancient vampire beneath the city."

The older man proceeded to list out several key points from his notes, prompting Forester or others to confirm or add to what he had previously collated. The broader detail seemed only related to confirming what Baywater had already reported. However, noting that both Forester and Pinewatch had passed far more time in the company of the vampire, he pressed both of them for more detail.

Alex reiterated his general contempt for the vampire and spoke briefly of the Ancient's ability to read the memories of sleeping minds. He indicated his reasonable confidence that the ability was exactly as described and no more than that.

Responding to further queries regarding the Ancient's origins and possible affiliations, Forester stepped in. Periodically rubbing his goatee beard, he provided a summary of what the vampire had shared, explaining how he told them that he had originally come from the Summerset Isles hundreds of years before, just before the rise of Tiber Septim. From what was said, the Ancient had passed most of his time as a vampire somewhere in the Iliac Bay region. Despite his apparent outward demeanour, he was not born of Altmer nobility, only coming from a farming family of modest wealth. However by his own admission, he'd indicated that he'd become something like a part of the nobility of vampire clans of times gone by. As the last of his bloodline and presumably the last of certain warring vampire clans, the Ancient claimed that he had grown tired of conflict and had withdrawn to remain in solitude. Only the loss of a stolen item had brought out into the world once again.

The Chief Inspector steered Forester in a specific direction. "The Thalmor?"

Forester stopped fidgeting with his beard, holding out both hands in an open expression. "From what he told us, it seems that he previously knew little of the specifics of that circumstance. Only the broadest of strokes. What he'd heard in passing from afar. He claimed to have not been back to the Isles in quite some time and to have no personal involvement… or interest… I do feel confident that he does not hold the Thalmor regime in favour."

The Chief Inspector's probing expression prompted Forester to add more.

"Yes, well… during the time that the Ancient held us hostage, he had taken the time to read a book he had acquired. It was just another book detailing the recent circumstances of the Empire… and Emperor Mede's efforts to sustain Imperial alliances… with the emergence of a new Aldmeri Dominion."

The Chief Inspector's silent glare appeared a call for a clearly framed point.

Forester cleared his throat. "Yes, well… the Ancient expressed a clear admiration for unified Empire. A relatively peaceful Tamriel seems aligned with his preference. He seemed to hold the period of the Septim rule in rather high regard. After having just learned more of the motivations of our current Emperor… well, he seems to have gained a measure of respect for the Emperor and his intent. His only noted criticism… he suggested that he thought it might be a mistake to delay too long in finding a way to directly suppress the longevity or further expansion of that Aldmeri Dominion."

The Chief Inspector's thoughtful silence lasted only a short moment. "You think that the vampire was acting in support of Imperial concerns?"

Forester's expression telegraphed his ambivalence. "Well, no. Not precisely. I should think that it was more the case that he didn't wish to directly act in opposition to Imperial concerns. The delivery of those foreign assassins… well, it seems that was largely a matter of ensuring that he could go about his private business without unnecessary conflict."

The Chief Inspector's pale eyes flickered briefly toward others about the table, before returning to looking at Forester. "You do not believe that the vampire held any connection to the foreign assassins?"

Forester started to shrug, then tried to affect a more resolute posture. "Well, no. I do not believe so. It did seem to be no more than a matter of coincidence, as he suggested."

The Chief Inspector didn't seem completely convinced. "With those mind probing abilities of the vampire, how is it that he remained unaware of the assassins in his vicinity?"

Alex spoke again. "He claimed that he could only see into our minds, if we were sleeping… and close enough. That much seemed true."

Forester nodded. "Yes, I agree. Everything that I observed would serve to support that understanding. From what we were told, there was no opportunity for the Ancient to examine the minds of the Bosmer assassins. He told us that he firstly believed they were merely common criminals or smugglers or such. He seemed inclined to ignore them, so long as they didn't interfere with his personal activities. At least, that was until we came along… and he learned differently. I'm confident that it was only then that he devised his plan to utilise them as a point of bargaining and distraction, in order to ensure his own free passage."

After making a note, the older man posed another question. "Did the vampire offer any indication that he learned anything else of significance once the fugitives were captured?"

Alex glanced to Forester, without saying anything.

Forester scratched his earlobe. "Well, I couldn't say for certain whether he was directly involved in the capture of the Bosmer. He seemed to imply that the other local vampires he'd recruited had done that for him. The only things that he mentioned… well, he said that he believed that the Bosmer were not clever enough to have organised an effective assassination operation. He speculated that if they were actually sent from the Aldmeri Dominion, he did not believe that they were seriously expected to succeed. Perhaps only a test of sorts."

"I see." The Chief Inspector nodded and made another note in his journal. "And the reasons for the ancient vampire being in the Imperial City?"

Forester thought that matter was already clear. "Well, though it may not represent the full and open truth, I do not doubt what the Ancient told us."

The Chief Inspector's expectant gaze prompted him to elaborate further.

"Yes well, as we've already explored, the Ancient claimed that he only came here to retrieve a personal item that was stolen from him. From what he indicated, his search brought him here to the Imperial City. He recruited some local individuals… of the kind that he could control and bend to his will… setting up in the sewers below the city. Both the Bosmer assassins and our ensuing pursuit came along… interrupting his activities…" Forester's expression indicated that he wasn't sure what else to add to that.

"A momento from the past?" The Chief Inspector noted the phrasing from his journal.

Both Alex and Forester shrugged in near unison.

Forester responded verbally. "Well, the Ancient did not specify precisely. From things that he said, it seems that it was something that belonged to his mortal family. Something he had kept for a long time, to remind him of his former life. Nothing dangerous, as far as… well, not as far I know."

A lengthy moment of relative silence passed by as the Chief Inspector added several notes in his journal. He took a further moment to briefly look over what he'd just written as the ink dried. Appearing satisfied, he turned his attention away from the journal. "I should think that I have enough. Everything that we might need."

Forester opened his mouth partway, then seemingly decided that the passing thought did not really need to be given voice.

Rena slowly looked to him with a weary questioning glance. She mostly looked like she would rather be sleeping.

Ras'Dar looked much the same. By that time, he really seemed to be struggling to provide the outward appearance of attentiveness.

Though quite obviously weary, Alex maintained an intense expression. However, what ever it was that he might have been thinking, it remained unspoken.

It was Monika who broke the silence, directly addressing the Chief Inspector. "Are we to be contracted to go after this vampire?"

The older man looked back through pale eyes. His general expression remained impassive. "No, I don't think that will necessary."

"No?" Monika's tone suggested that she didn't think it was the end of the matter.

The Chief Inspector appeared unmoved. "No. That ancient vampire might well be considered dangerous to anyone crossing his path. However, only if directly challenged or provoked, it would seem… if I were to believe what I've been told." He looked to Forester as he spoke that last part, then returned his attention toward Monika. "Though we might remain suitably interested in observing his activities and movements, I'm inclined to consider that the vampire does not currently pose a direct threat to Imperial concerns."

Monika still didn't appear satisfied, but indicated her acceptance.

Alex remained broody and silent.

With some hesitancy, Forester cleared his throat and passed a comment. "Is it at all possible that… that the Ancient might be considered as… as something other than a threat?"

The Chief Inspector paused in packing up his items to look back to Forester. "To some, a powerful ancient vampire persuaded to the service of the Empire might well seem a potentially valuable asset… however, I should think that rather unlikely. After all, even if the vampire bears the Empire no ill will, I would still find it difficult to believe that there could any means of motivating him."

Forester's expression indicated his sustained ambivalence, but he held his tongue.

The older man proceeded to finish packing away his things. "For yourselves, you may consider the matter ended."

No one offered anything in response.

The Chief Inspector stood up, slinging one satchel over his shoulder and gathering up the second to his chest. "As I understand it, arrangements have been made to have meals brought here. I expect that should be done shortly. The Prince advised that you should consider yourselves welcome to the suite for the evening."

The older man indicated a silent farewell, then turned to take his leave, heading directly for the door.

Rena stifled a yawn. "So that's that then?"

"So it seems." Forester sounded weary.

Rena's yawning proved contagious. Alex winced as he also stifled a silent yawn.

Monika looked back toward the beds over the far side of the suite. "Yeah, could do with some more sleep."

Ras'Dar sat up, shifting in his chair. "Inspector said there would be meals, yes?"

Forester looked to the Khajiit. "Yes, so he said."

A few heads turned toward the door with expectation. Though more rest was likely on everyone's minds, the notion of a hot meal also seemed welcome.

~O~


	21. Chapter 21

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 21

Tirdas the 1st of Sun's Dusk 4E50 Early Morning

It was hardly surprising that Alex was the first one up in the morning. He didn't know what time it was as he rose. Only that it was probably still some time before the dawn. Though he still felt rather sluggish, he was feeling like he'd had more than enough rest. In fact, he thought that he'd probably slept far too much and was feeling just a little worse because of it.

Since everyone else appeared to sleeping soundly, he made an effort not to disturb anyone as he quietly made his way for the bathroom facilities located at the rear of the guest suite. Even though he'd seen the like of it before, the general opulence of what passed for such facilities in the guest quarters of the Imperial Tower still made him feel somewhat awkward.

Back in Chorrol, he'd be making use of a chamber pot at that time of the morning and he'd need to go take that out to the sewer drain later on. Even the downstairs facilities at the Wawnet Inn, situated over the sewerage drainage pits were nothing special.

Of course though more ordinary, the facilities in places like the Merchants Inn of the Market District of the city seemingly employed the same general principal, yet somehow the facilities in those tower guest suites seemed far too decorative and indulgent for the purpose.

After attending to immediate requirements, then washing his lightly stubbled face in the water of the ornate brass washbasin and running his fingers through his hair, Alex quietly returned to the main space of the guest suite. He then made his way for the sitting room area to find a comfortable chair to sit down and think in the tranquillity of the morning.

Only a small oil lamp burning a low wick provided some lighting to that part of the suite. In the relative quiet, he just sat there silently gazing at the flicking flame.

During the previous evening, just a short while after that Chief Inspector had departed, a Breton woman had arrived at the guest suite with a cart bearing the hot meals, as had been promised. As well as the plates of hot food, she'd also brought two carafes of wine and an enormous metal teapot with fine ceramic cups.

Though everyone was still quite tired at the time, the arrival of steaming hot meals easily overrode the interest in immediately returning to resting. The prepared food consisted of grilled fresh fish and a selection of hot vegetables. The unusual combination of aromatic spices made the meals seem uncommonly intoxicating to the senses.

As they were enjoying the hot food, Rena had passed a comment. She'd mentioned how unlike around the Imperial City, the availability of fresh fish was fairly uncommon in the Skingrad markets. She said that it had been much the same back when she lived in Kvatch. Of course some dried fish or brine soaked barrels of fish would periodically arrive on transports from Anvil, but anything fresher than that was a rarity and generally far more expensive than seemed reasonable.

Even though the upper reach of the Strid River was not located so far from Skingrad, the fish were not so plentiful around there and the waters were not so easily accessible from the steep banks and cliff faces of the northern side. Those unfavourable factors generally discouraged fishermen in that area. Added to that, just across the far side of the river lay the Valenwood, representing the border between the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion. Even the smugglers had grown wary of that stretch of the river over the past few decades.

Of course being even further from such bodies of water, the availability of fresh fish in Chorrol was just as much of a rarity. Still, Monika and Alex visited the Wawnet Inn often enough that they actually had the opportunity to enjoy some sort of fresh fish with fair regularity.

Reflecting upon his days back in Falkreath, Alex noted that he probably eaten far more fish taken from Lake Ilinalta back then and sometimes even more often than he might have preferred. Though he also conceded that the freshwater fish were generally prepared in a more simple fashion back in southern Skyrim. It was certainly nothing at all like those spicy meals they'd been provided with in the Imperial Tower.

Even after they'd all finished with their meals, the topic of conversation remained light and inconsequential and did not really last so long at all. Everyone was still feeling far too weary from the activities of the past day or so.

The wine from the carafes had been only mildly disturbed. The wine was very good and probably very expensive, but the desire to properly enjoy it seemed rather low.

Avoiding the wine, Alex had been the only one to sample the tea. It seemed like something imported from High Rock, but he couldn't really tell. He passed no comment, not even finishing it. He liked the tea well enough, but had been feeling far too tired as the hot food settled in his belly.

Before long at all, each of the Guild Fighters had surrendered to the pressing call for proper rest. Ras'Dar had actually started to nod off at the dining table. It could not have been any later than eight in the evening by the time they were all giving in to the siren call of slumber and seeking the safe harbour of comfortable beds.

An odd noise from the sleeping Khajiit briefly drew Alex's attention away from the flickering flame of the oil lamp. Ras'Dar had yet to wake, but those noises seemed an indication that he would probably be stirring soon.

Sitting there in the dimly lit guest suite, bordered upon all sides by walls of stone, Alex thought it strange that people might choose to live in places like that. Without question, it certainly seemed fortified and safe, but far too closed in for his liking.

Alex idly wondered how Treb and his family managed in such a place. Without someone actually informing him, there really seemed no way to know what time of a day it might be. He considered that perhaps the royal suites located up above had proper windows to the outside world. After all they had to be so high in the tower that they hardly needed to be sealed off from the outside world.

Alex's silent musings were again distracted by something. That time it came from another subdued movement in the guest suite. Forester had quietly risen from the larger bed and then proceeded to pad across the floor to the bathroom facilities.

Several moments later, Forester emerged from the back area. He paused briefly, then made his way over to where Alex had settled. He was wearing only the long tunic and undergarment that he normally wore beneath his mithril armour. Though adequate to provide cover of modesty, it seemed far more informal than his usual preference of presentation.

Instead of immediately taking to a seat, Forester stepped over toward the cart by the large table. He paused to consider the large metal teapot, noting that it seemed heavy and full of liquid. He sniffed at the opening of the raised pouring spout.

Alex kept his voice low. "That would be cold."

Forester cleared his throat, trying not to be too noisy. "Yes, I expect so."

Without explaining his intent, Forester placed both hands near the metal teapot. He closed his eyes and he whispered his spell. For a somewhat prolonged moment, a pulsing glow emanated from about his hands, engulfing the metal receptacle. After he'd stopped that activity, he noted a gentle wafting of steam rising from the spout. He gingerly tapped the side of the metal pot in a manner that confirmed that it must have been too hot to touch. Cautiously testing the handle, it seemed that it was safe enough to use.

Looking back toward where Alex sat, Forester's unspoken suggestion seemed clear enough. Alex returned a polite nod. Forester proceeded to pour out two servings of tea into the fine ceramic cups provided for that purpose, then brought them both over to the sitting room area. He handed a cup of steaming tea over to Alex, before settling into a second chair.

After briefly savouring the aromatic steam rising from the cup, Forester took a cautious sip of the hot tea. He seemed to find it satisfying. Doing the same sort of thing, Alex's expression appeared to declare a similar opinion.

Since not everyone was up, Forester sought to keep his voice restrained. "I thought it might have been somewhat colder in here, once the fire had burned out."

Alex only returned a subdued grunt of acknowledgment as he glanced over toward the small fireplace set into the stone wall. Though the ash might still have been hot, the flames had obviously subsided some hours before. The stonework probably held onto some of the heat as well. It was fair to assume that it was probably quite cool outside at that time of morning, but not so inside the tower. At least, not in that guest suite.

Taking a second sip of his tea, Forester looked to Alex again. "If I might observe, you have not seemed quite yourself. Not since we returned from beneath the city."

Alex only silently shrugged. He did not return eye contact, instead focussing upon the cup he was holding.

Forester took another sip of tea before speaking again. "The Ancient… the vampire… that ordeal was rather… unpleasant. Still, that's all behind us now."

Without looking up, Alex murmured. "We were not good enough. Not good enough, by far. Only lucky… lucky enough to be spared… or just used as part of a bargain…"

Forester maintained an even tone. "Well, no. Our skills as Guild Fighters did seem inadequate in response to that particular adversary. Of course, our additional skills had also been neutered or countered, or else just not adequate to challenge someone like that. There really wasn't much that we could've done."

Alex's expression did not reflect any improvement in his mood. It might not have been the case that he expected to emerge unscathed from every danger that he faced, but he liked to think that proper training and skill, along with proper caution and determination should generally place him in a better position than that one they had escaped.

Forester softly cleared his throat. "You might think back to what transpired beneath the Arena of Sentinel. With the rest of us enthralled by the effects of that misappropriated artefact… well, none of us were well placed to deal with the circumstances." He paused on a sigh. "You were the only one present in that locked room during that fleeting encounter with Malacath. Well, the only one alive, I should say. Malacath could easily have torn you to pieces upon a whim… but he didn't. In the face of Daedric Princes or even Ancient Vampires, we must remember that we are only men."

He waited a lengthy moment, but Alex offered no immediate response. Forester maintained his even tone. "I'm perfectly confident of our ability to deal with common vampires and the like. However, that ancient vampire could hardly be considered common. Not common at all. All in all, I'm quite glad of our good fortune."

Alex released a heavy sigh. "You are right, I suppose. It… it was all just so frustrating. We were meant to be getting those assassins. Instead, we just ended up being… being held by that vampire."

"Well, we did play our part in capturing the assassins. Perhaps not in the way we might have reasonably expected, but the task was achieved nonetheless. If nothing else, keeping the Ancient somewhat entertained… and somewhat on side… well, that was something of an achievement as well. After all, he did follow through with keeping to his word and he did not harm us unduly."

Alex sighed again. "That was all on you. Not me."

Forester nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps. However given his uncommon civility, it was not really so difficult. Perhaps added to that, your apparent reluctance to appear at all cooperative… well, that did serve to make me appear me all the more cooperative."

Alex shook his head, seemingly struggling with conflicting thoughts. "If… if he was not a vampire, I might almost have thought… well, he almost seemed like… like he wanted to be a decent sort of person… or something like that… but he IS a vampire."

"Well yes, he is a vampire. Though perhaps once like us, he is no longer like us."

Alex still appeared to be searching for some rationalisation. "He seemed to care about the big things… and the future of things… like the Empire and a peaceful Tamriel, but not people… not individual people."

Forester nodded again. "Yes well, I expect that he's no longer accustomed to caring about individuals. Nonetheless, the circumstances of the day played out in our favour. The assassins were captured. Some local vampires that might have caused further trouble have been eliminated. Added to that, the Ancient is likely to have slipped away without causing any further trouble for anyone else at all. All in all, a favourable outcome."

Alex took a quick sip of his tea before speaking again. "I suppose. Still, it… it just hardly feels like we did our job… like Fighters Guild. It makes me wonder… wonder what we are doing… what I'm doing… wonder if I am really up to the job."

Forester returned a look of concern. "You're not thinking of…?" Even without completing the query, his meaning was clear enough.

Alex sighed again. "No, not really. People still need help. People rely on my… on OUR help… as Guild Fighters. The Fighters Guild can do what falls beneath the notice of the Imperial Legion. The things that do not even seem to matter to the Penitus Oculatus. Helping ordinary people."

"Yes, quite." Forester took another sip of tea.

What Alex had said was nothing that Forester didn't already know well enough for himself. He might have offered something similar, if Alex hadn't said it first. Still, it sounded more like Alex was trying to convince himself.

In truth, it was actually a variation of things that Alex had heard Monika say to others before. It held the tone of arguments she'd utilised back in Wayrest when trying to convince members of her family of the worthiness of remaining with the Fighters Guild.

A lengthy moment of silence continued to pass between them.

Though unlikely to have easily overheard much of what had been said from across the far side of the suite, the relatively subdued noise of conversation had disturbed Ras'Dar's slumber. The Suthay Khajiit had sluggishly rolled over and risen from the smaller bed where he'd been sleeping. After orientating himself, he disappeared off to the bathroom for a few moments. At that point, both Monika and Rena still appeared to be sleeping.

Returning from the bathroom, Ras'Dar briefly fussed with checking over his steel armour, before deciding that he didn't really need to think about wearing it just yet.

Still, the noises that Ras'Dar made served to disturb Monika's sleep. In turn, Rena was also brought around to consciousness, if not motivated to actually get up.

Soon enough, everybody was up and about, though all remained quite uncertain of the hour. It was also a fair observation that each of them felt somewhat groggy after such an extended period of sleep. The rest was certainly needed, but the after-effects of taking it all at once did tend to leave each of them feeling less than energetic.

That pot of tea that Forester had reheated quickly proved a welcome and popular remedy. Fortunately, the large pot contained enough to go around for everyone. Though it didn't seem like the kind of tea that Ras'Dar generally preferred, he did seem happy enough to be drinking it.

After everyone had finished their tea and some of them had picked at the previously untouched sweetbreads that no one had noticed the night before, effort was made to get dressed in their respective attires. For Alex, Monika and Rena, that meant the plain clothes they'd worn into the city upon the day of the festival. For Ras'Dar, that meant his custom steel armour, except for the helmet, which he'd left in the lockup back at the inn.

Forester was soon wearing his mithril armour over his undergarments, almost appearing as he might usually be seen in public. However, he was rather openly agitated by the absence of his boots.

After checking with the guard posted outside the door, Forester was pleasantly surprised to learn that his boots had already been cleaned and returned. Before that, he was thinking that he might have needed to wait much longer. Or even need to make further inquiry or be escorted to the location of the appropriate smith. However, the boots were back and quite obviously properly cleaned. In fact, he remained just a little suspicious that they might not be his boots, since he'd not previously seen them looking quite so clean since they were new. He was more than a little curious what methods an Imperial smith might have utilised to achieve such a result.

From the guard, Forester had also learned that it had yet to pass the hour of seven in the morning. Before that, he really held little idea of what time it might be.

Along with Forester's boots, the guard had also passed on a satchel, which contained potions for them. Of course, the potions were intended as treatment against any possible infection from contact with the vampire. Only Forester and Alex had endured any extended contact with the Ancient and he was confident they were unaffected. The other three had experienced even less contact. Nonetheless, if only to be perfectly sure, all the Guild Fighters took the potions. It was better to be safe than sorry.

Though they'd been told they were welcome to stay in the guest suite throughout the evening, none of them were interested in remaining there any longer than necessary. It seemed like any further extension of their stay might feel like an abuse of the hospitality.

Alex had quietly suspected that the Prince might pay them a brief visit, but hadn't been really expecting it. After all, he understood that Attrebus must have far more serious concerns and responsibilities on his plate. Added to that, the Prince had already extended generous courtesies for their benefit.

Once the Guild Fighters had gathered up their things and were ready to go, Forester again troubled the guard outside to see if they could take their leave and be escorted from the Imperial tower.

* * *

After making their way back down from above, the Guild Fighters emerged from the ornate doors of the White-Gold Tower and then onto the steps down to the elevated platform encircling the towering structure. When they last entered the Imperial Tower around noon of the previous day, the skies overhead had been mostly clear.

A moderately mild early winter morning wasn't an unreasonable prospect. There was perhaps some fair expectation of a slight chill in the air, competing with the milder sunlight of a Sun's Dusk morning. However, it seemed that the weather had again completely turned during their time inside.

A blanket of gray cloud had rolled in, covering the visible firmament from horizon to horizon. Though not quite so cold, the air remained cool, with little promise of any sunlight to bring warmth to the bleak day ahead. At least it wasn't windy. That would have made things seem far worse.

Looking out across the space of the central district, there were still a few signs of some temporary structures left in place from the festivities of two days before. However, it seemed that all the loose rubbish and the like had been cleaned away.

The relatively empty space of the Green Emperor Way appeared as a stark contrast to how crowded it had been during the day of celebration. Even upon the pathways below, there were few people to be seen about that morning.

Just near the steps from the elevated platform down to the path below, a boy with messy brown hair sat perched upon the low stone wall, leaning against a support column. He shifted with a start, seemingly in reaction to the appearance of the Guild Fighters. He climbed down from the wall and headed directly for them.

The freckle-faced boy was rather poorly dressed and looked fairly grubby. He might have looked to be around fourteen or so. At a first glance, he seemed like he might be a beggar looking for coin.

Drawing near, the lad looked directly to Monika with an expectant expression. "It's me. Jonus."

Monika looked back to the boy, trying to place the face and name.

Alex thought he recognised the lad. "Is he, ah… Livia's…?"

"Oh, yeah… ah, Livia." That seemed enough to jog Monika's memory. She realised where she'd seen him before. He was the eldest boy of Livia, the washer woman who helped out at the Wawnet Inn on a part time basis. She'd seen him once or twice helping his mother with bringing deliveries from the city.

"Me mum sent me to go find ya. Said she heard from soldiers that Fighters Guild went chasin' after the ones what tried to attack the Emp'ror an' the Prince. Figured I might find ya, if I waited 'round the front of the palace tower."

With a bewildered expression, Monika shook her head. "Why?"

Scratching his neck, Jonus shrugged. "Said to tell ya that ya needta get back to the Wawnet, soon as ya can."

Monika responded with a heavy frown and a sigh. "Why? What's it about?"

Jonus shrugged again. "D'int say. Just that ya needta get back there."

Alex looked to Monika with a concerned expression. A few thoughts crossed his mind, but they remained unspoken.

Clearing his throat, Forester spoke up. "Yes well, returning to the Wawnet Inn was on the agenda for today, whether directly or otherwise."

Monika glanced at the gray sky overhead, trying to gauge whether it looked like actual rain on the way or just the idle threat of rain.

Rena offered her opinion. "Might as well all head back there. Not the best weather for wandering about the Market District anyway."

"Yes, I agree." Forester added his voice.

Ras'Dar remained perfectly silent, seemingly quite prepared to go along whatever others suggested.

Jonus fidgeted, looking at his feet. "S'pose that means I got no excuse ta keep me from goin' to the schoolhouse today?"

Alex responded. "No, you do not. You should go do that."

Jonus sighed. "Righto then. You'll tell me mum I went?"

Alex returned a nod. "We will. Off you go, before you are late."

With a hangdog expression, the lad turned about and headed off.

Monika released another heavy sigh. "I s'pose we ought get moving then, before it starts to rain on us."

~O~


	22. Chapter 22

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 22

Tirdas the 1st of Sun's Dusk 4E50 Morning

Leaving the central district of the Imperial City, the five Guild Fighters passed though the wall of the district gates into the Talos Plaza district. A single city guard was posted at the other side of the wall. She was watching who passed through, but wasn't directly challenging the passage of anyone leaving the Green Emperor Way. Though there looked to be several people out on the streets of the Talos Plaza District that morning, it did not seem nearly as busy or congested as it had been on Emperor's Day.

Some of the relatively light foot traffic appeared to be either coming from the Temple District or else headed back in that direction. Some of them might well have been on their way to the Waterfront District. Perhaps more of the people passing through the central plaza of the western district seemed to be headed in the direction of the Elven Gardens District, most likely bound for the Market District beyond.

Those enthusiastic preachers and street corner prophets who seemed rather plentiful on the day of the festival had evidently retreated to other locations that they more commonly frequented. Whether directly related to that circumstance of otherwise, the generally lesser number of street beggars seemed just a little more obvious among the more sparsely filtered movement of people.

Only because one particular beggar who was blind in one eye was restricting easy passage along the street, Forester engaged him just briefly. Whether or not the old man knew that he was Fighters Guild remained unspoken. However, Forester certainly seemed more recognisable in his mithril armour, suggesting a status of affluence. Perhaps somewhat more tersely than usual, Forester provided the beggar with coin and then harshly encouraged him to step aside. Everyone else in his party had slipped past without incident or delay.

Soon enough, they were passing through the outer wall of the Imperial City through the main gates. On that day, the guards by the heavy timber gate didn't appear at all interested in restricting their free passage. One of them actually seemed to recognise Forester, if not the others. He hadn't actually said anything, but it was in the manner of his nod and expression.

Outside the gates, it seemed apparent that some things had returned to normal. To the left of the main thoroughfare, gone was the long line of carts and wagons along the outer pathway down to the Waterfront District. A single horse-drawn cart was just disappearing over the curve of the hill on its way around to the dockside area.

The notable prevalence of horse-shit both along that path and upon the main road ahead seemed the only remaining indication of all those horses, wagons and carts that had been out there just two days before.

Looking toward the right, the stabling facilities also seemed to have returned to a state of relative normality. It still appeared fairly busy. The stable workers were occupied with toiling over the horses, but in far fewer number than observed on Sundas morning.

The most obvious sign of things returning to normal was upon the porch of the house in front of the stable-yards. As usual, the old man who owned the stabling facilities was sitting out there on his seat. Though his smoking pipe didn't appear to be lit at that moment, he cradled it as he watched the people passing by.

Looking ahead down the steep slope to the large stone bridge across the narrow of Lake Rumare, it was obvious that any traffic coming or going from the city was quite light. In fact, there was nobody at all upon the bridge at that particular time.

Off in the distance beyond that, a couple of slow moving riders were passing the village of Weye and veering off to the south. They were too far off to clearly see, but they were most likely Legion riders patrolling the road.

Looking further out toward the right, over upon the north-western corner of the Imperial Isle, there were some signs of movement at those Legion encampments at that location. No one seemed to be coming or going from the area. It seemed like some sort of training activity was in progress.

On the way downhill toward the bridge, Rena passed comment over the look of the grim skies overhead. It was really beginning to look like it might well start raining at any moment. Forester had agreed with her without elaborating further.

Aside from that, everyone had walked along in relative silence since leaving the city gates behind. Monika's expression didn't invite any further conversation.

Of course, Alex was perfectly aware of some of what she might be thinking. Though Livia's boy couldn't tell them anything of the reasons for urgently returning to the inn, the absence of any detail served to provide fuel to certain fears. Whether such fears did or did not hold any substance would remain unknown until they arrived.

Ras'Dar kept to the rear. Aside from the noises made by the movement of walking in his steel armour, he remained quiet.

By the far side of the bridge, Flaenia's stall stood unattended. Her husband and the other local fishermen had already brought their small boats back to shore and rolled them over on the beach to avoid having them filled by anticipated rainfall. They were hurriedly working to finish hanging their nets and sort through the morning catch before the weather turned against them.

The open shed that served as the stabling facility by the main street up the middle of Weye housed only just a couple of horses that morning. The younger lad who generally kept watch was nowhere to be seen.

From the outside of the Wawnet Inn, nothing seemed to be at all amiss. If it was later in the day, the old farmer might have been sitting on the seat out the front, either puffing away on his pipe or else napping. However, he was most likely still tending his field at that early part of the morning.

After waiting outside the door for a couple of travellers who were just leaving the Wawnet as they arrived, the Guild Fighters stepped inside the inn. In single file, they passed along the narrow entry hall toward the tavern area. It was not terribly surprising for it be so quiet in there at that time of the morning. There didn't appear to be any Legion riders taking a break at the inn and aside from those two travellers who had just departed, the only other soul about seemed to be the figure sitting in shadows at the table situated in the farthest corner.

In response to the sounds of someone arriving, Belwen popped up from behind the service counter of the tavern with a cleaning cloth in her hand. She must have been attending to something on the lower shelves. The younger Bosmer responded with a slightly surprised expression. She opened her mouth partway, but didn't say anything right away.

Monika spoke first. "Belwen. Livia not around?"

"She sent her son to find us. Told us to come back here." Alex added the clarification.

Belwen shook her head, returning a blank expression. She looked notably more weary and worn than usual. "Livia? No, not around. It's Tirdas. She's ah… she's working down at the Waterfront today."

"Then why?" Monika also shook her head, responding to the Bosmer's vague reply.

Wearing a pained expression, Belwen hesitated with her awkward response. "It's… it's… it's Nerussa."

"Nerussa?" Monika tried to ignore what Belwen's expression was telling her, waiting for her tell her something different.

Belwen's strained expression did not ease. "She… she did not wake up yesterday."

"Did not wake up?" Alex prompted her to spell it out.

Belwen shook her head again. "I… I thought she might have already been up. Then maybe… maybe gone back for another rest, but… that wasn't..." Fidgeting with the cleaning cloth, she shook her head some more. "She must have passed away in her sleep. Sometime on Morndas morning."

As the plain reality of Belwen's words sunk in, Monika swayed involuntarily upon her feet, if only just a little. Alex had quickly placed a steadying hand upon her shoulder. Monika offered no objection. She might not have even noticed.

Maintaining her silence for the moment, Rena watched on with a sympathetic expression. Without yet speaking either, Ras'Dar seemed obviously concerned over his Bosmer friend behind the counter. For some other reason not immediately apparent, Forester shuffled uncomfortably. He appeared somewhat distracted.

Monika caught her breath, but her voice still sounded quiet. "Where… where is she?"

Belwen pointed in the appropriate direction. "Down in the cellar. In the cool. I had… Flaenia's husband and her son... They helped get her down there."

Monika silently nodded, looking off in the direction of the cellar. She took half a step before realising that Alex's hand seemed to be holding her back a little.

Alex spoke softly. "Are you sure that you want to? It could wait."

Without turning, Monika shook her head. "No. No, I need to see."

Alex stopped trying her delay her, removing his hand. He quickly glanced back to the others and then noticed Forester looking over toward that hooded figure sitting in the shadowed back corner of the tavern. It was Forester's distracted interested that prompted Alex to take a closer look. A full wine bottle and two glasses sat upon the table. Despite the hooded cloak, it was not too hard to recognise that the male figure in partial shadow was a tall Altmer.

A sudden rush of alarm and coiled rage washed over Alex. Even though he remained uncertain of it. His gut feeling was already informing him of the identity of that cloaked figure.

Instead of following Monika toward the cellar, Alex took a step in the opposite direction. However, something seemed to be preventing his advance. It took only a moment for him to realise that it was Forester's firm grip holding him back.

Alex's expression seemed a mixture of surprise and anger.

Forester met his gaze with serious eyes and a measure of firm resolve. "You should go with Monika."

The fire in Alex's eyes did not diminish at all.

Forester maintained a resolute expression. "You should go with Monika. Allow me to deal with this."

After what seemed like a lengthy moment, Alex released a heavy breath, then returned a nod of resignation. He turned away slowly, then hastened his pace to catch up with Monika.

Ras'Dar looked like he wanted to say something, but chose to remain silent, looking to Forester with an expectant gaze. He'd most likely drawn the same conclusion as Alex, but wasn't certain what he should be doing about it.

Watching Alex go after Monika, Rena shuffled uncomfortably on the spot. She looked like she probably wanted to follow him, but she also looked like she was obviously worried about what Forester might be about to do.

Before anyone said anything else, Forester cleared his throat and addressed Belwen directly. "The ah… the gentleman in the corner of the tavern?"

Looking toward the figure in the far corner, the Bosmer returned a slightly confused expression. She wasn't quite sure what that particular fuss was about. "That one? The Altmer? He ah… he came in late last night. Didn't want a room, but he's been sitting over there since then, as far as I know."

Forester's raised eyebrows prompted her to elaborate further.

"He ah… he brought a gift for Nerussa. A bottle of some sort of wine. Something rare, I think. I think he was in here before… weeks ago. When he heard about… about Nerussa… last night… after that, he purchased a bottle of our most expensive wine. Then, he just sat down over there with a couple of glasses. Hasn't even touched it."

"I see." Forester nodded with narrowed eyes.

Rena placed her hand upon her husband's arm. "You're not thinking of…?"

Forester looked to her, trying to affect a confident expression. "I don't believe there will be any trouble."

Rena didn't appear convinced. "What are you saying?"

Forester cleared his throat. "I think I should go over and speak with him. It might be best if I do so alone."

Rena returned a harsh glare. "No, not alone."

"I do think it might be better if you stayed here."

"No, I don't think so."

Forester nodded slowly. "Very well." He shifted his gaze to Ras'Dar. "You should remain here with Belwen. Just keep a watchful eye on things."

The Khajiit's feline ears twitched a little. Then after glancing firstly to Belwen, then back to Forester and Rena, he nodded and affected an agreeable expression. "Ras'Dar will remain with Belwen and will be keeping two watchful eyes." Though his tone sounded perfectly compliant, the motion of his tail indicated that he was not at all pleased with the circumstance.

Both Ras'Dar and Belwen looked on as Forester and Rena made their way across the empty room toward the back corner. The Ancient didn't seem to move at all until they were standing near the table. He gestured slowly with his hands, indicating the chairs about the table.

"Please sit. I can assure that I mean you no harm." There was a touch of weariness in his voice. It seemed a rather different tone from the authoritative confidence that he projected when he'd been holding them captive.

Without taking her eyes from the vampire, following Forester's lead, Rena pulled out a chair to sit down. They both sat opposite the Ancient. Though Forester had his back to the counter where Ras'Dar and Belwen were, Rena positioned herself so that she could still see them with only a slight turn of her head.

Forester cleared his throat. "Well then, may I ask why you are here?"

The Ancient maintained a non-threatening posture. "I expect you are asking, why am I here at this tavern? Nerussa. We are… we were… acquainted."

"Acquainted?" Rena tried not to sound too provocative or challenging.

The Ancient nodded slightly. "Yes, acquainted. We had met here before, upon some of my earlier visits to the Imperial City. Nerussa had previously provided me with certain useful information in exchange for payment. In that regard, she had always seemed uncommonly resourceful. Once again, she assisted with directing me toward specific individuals, in order to deal with my current task." He paused, shaking his head slightly. "I had intended to provide her with a gift. An item of valued interest… to demonstrate my gratitude. An uncommon vintage that I was able to acquire." He waved a hand in an idle manner. "However, it seems that I returned here too late. I left it with her Bosmer girl." He again waved his hand casually, indicating the direction of the service counter.

Forester glanced at the expensive bottle of wine on the table. He presumed that whatever had been passed to Belwen must have been uncommonly special if it was more valuable than what he was looking at. He shifted the tone of his question slightly. "So, why are you still here?"

The Ancient responded with a mildly surprised expression. "Why? Well, to honour the memory of Nerussa, of course."

Rena's expression reflected some confusion. "Nerussa? I still don't get it."

The Ancient raised his eyebrows. "Nerussa was but a friendly acquaintance, of some long standing. By now, there are but a few remaining who might reasonably fit that description. Now, there is one less."

Rena had another question. "Did she know you were a… a vampire?"

The Ancient inclined his head slightly. "Perhaps. Though I do not expect so. I do not believe that I provided her with any indication. I imagine that she believed that I was merely a fellow Altmer. If I recall, I may have once suggested that I was a wealthy merchant from High Rock." He paused briefly. "Until quite recently, I had not seen her in perhaps five decades. Even so, she seemed quick to recognise me, if only by my voice and manner. She remained just as willing to engage in pleasant conversation as the last time I was here." He raised an open hand in casual gesture. "It was Nerussa's words which encouraged me to read more of this new Emperor upon the throne."

"So then, you did not remain here expecting to see us?" Forester suspected that even though the Ancient had come to see Nerussa, from perusing their thoughts, he had to be somewhat aware of those connections between each of them.

The Ancient didn't respond directly. After a moment of prolonged silence, he indicated the wine and the two glasses upon the table. "Sadly, I have no taste for such things any longer. I am afraid that would be wasted upon me. Perhaps, you might consider drinking to the memory of Nerussa on my behalf?"

Rena made a huffing noise. "Bit early for that."

The Ancient maintained an impassive expression.

Forester cleared his throat. "Perhaps just a small glass would suffice?"

The Ancient returned a subtle nod.

Without speaking, Forester broke the seal of the bottle and eased the cork from the opening. He proceeded to pour out two short glasses of crimson wine.

Though appearing reluctant, Rena accepted the glass. Turning her head slightly, She cast a quick glance toward the service counter.

Ras'Dar was still watching what was going on, but speaking with Belwen as he did so. He was probably bringing her up to speed on certain things. Informing her of the identity of the ancient vampire wouldn't really be any sort of breach of contract. He was probably trying to explain that satisfactorily, without going into specific detail of those other aspects of what they'd been doing during that unexpected mission.

Forester's voice and action prompted attention about the table. He raised the wineglass. "In memory of Nerussa. She will be remember and missed."

Rena hurriedly followed in kind, raising her own glass. "Nerussa."

Without speaking, the Ancient inclined his head in a respectful fashion.

A brief passage of silence passed after both Forester and Rena took a sip of wine. A moment of quiet seemed most appropriate. No other words seemed necessary.

Eventually breaking that silence, Forester cleared his throat again. "So, I take it that you managed to elude pursuit without incident?"

The Ancient shrugged mildly. "No one was harmed, if that is what you are asking."

Without saying anything, Forester's shrouded expression seemed to indicate that he remained suspicious of that answer.

The Ancient addressed the concern. "I did need to leave a shopkeep sleeping soundly in the back of his store yesterday. After having entered his establishment from below, via the basement. He was otherwise left unaffected and unharmed." He paused. "Though he had taken possession of my property, he was not directly responsible for the theft. I did provide him with satisfactory compensation, before taking my leave."

Forester returned a curious expression. "So you managed to retrieve your lost item?"

The Ancient drew attention to the ornate silver pin upon the front of his cloak. The broad head featured an intricate pattern of elven design. It was vaguely reminiscent of a bird in flight, without actually presenting as a literal figure of a bird.

Without saying anything, Rena looked more closely at the pin. She was considering how it was possible that such a small thing could be responsible for the trouble that passed.

Forester's narrowed eyes indicated some further curiosity as he gazed at the pin, or perhaps he thought that he recognised something that he couldn't quite place. "Tell me, does it possess any… special properties?"

The Ancient shrugged almost imperceptibly. "Only a minor enchantment. Low level healing magic. Of course, that is no longer of any benefit to me." After a short pause, his posture shifted slightly. "It had been a gift from my wife. My mortal wife. It had been crafted by her father. He was a skilled silversmith by trade. The enchantment… well, my wife thought to have that done by one of the local healers in Lillandril." With an ironic grin, he shook his head. "Evidently, it did me little good upon that evening when I was taken. Nonetheless, aside from my failing memories of that time, it is the only thing of her that I have."

Rena glanced to her husband as she took another sip of wine, then looked to the vampire with a somewhat sympathetic expression. Despite he'd put them through, she seemed to have altered her opinion, if only just a little.

Putting his glass aside, Forester again looked to the Ancient. "Are you certain that you were not followed here. The Penitus Oculatus seemed quite interested in pursuit."

The Ancient tilted his head a little. "I did encounter a suspicious woman in the Market District. I had thought that she might have been an Imperial agent, like that one who was with you in the sewers." He waved a hand dismissively. "However if that was the case, she proved not quite as immune to suggestion as she might have liked to have believed."

Forester's concerned expression provoked the Ancient to elaborate. "The woman was not harmed. However, she was freshly persuaded of the value of taking advantage of the food and drink at the Merchant Inn. I expect that she remained there for longer than intended."

Rena also put aside the glass she'd sipped from, suddenly wondering whether her choosing to drink to Nerussa had really been her own choice or otherwise.

Forester spoke again. "So then, you had no trouble leaving the city?"

The Ancient raised his eyebrows slightly. "No, not at all. The streets were heavily crowded. I was not the only Altmer departing that afternoon. Merely one of many. I left the city unchallenged, Just as I suggested would be the case." He paused. "There were Legion soldiers in here earlier. They did not give me a second glance."

Forester frowned. "As I understand it, the Penitus Oculatus can be… quite discreet."

"If so, it would seem they are being masterfully discreet at this moment." The Ancient waved his hand, indicating the absence of other patrons about the tavern. He shifted his posture subtly as if to indicate a fresh consideration. "Tell me, what has become of the Blades? Those who protected and served the previous Emperors? Of the Septim line. That tome I had read makes little mention."

Forester blinked at the shift of topic. "To the best of my knowledge, they are still at Cloud Ruler Temple, upon the mountain above Bruma. Those that remain."

"I noted only a passing mention that the Blades would not endorse a Colovian commoner as Emperor. No doubt that must be part of the reason for that… Penitus Oculatus."

Forester nodded, indicating his agreement. "As I understand it, that is precisely why the Emperor commissioned that new agency. Though the Empire no longer provides any obvious support for the Blades, there has been no overt move to prohibit the existence of the order. At least to my knowledge. I do suspect that the Emperor may believe that the Blades might yet be persuaded to adjust their position. If not now, then perhaps later."

The Ancient nodded with a thoughtful expression. He seemed to find Forester's logic satisfactory. Remaining quiet, Rena had been observing the exchange between them with distracted interest. She stole a quick glance back toward the counter. Ras'Dar and Belwen were still watching. Both of their expressions reflected a measure of nervous concern. That supported the notion that Belwen had been advised of the nature of the visitor.

Forester broke another moment of brief silence. "So then, what will you do now?"

The Ancient held out his hands. His expression broadcast that he thought the answer to the question was perfectly self-evident. "What will I do? I have what I came for. As I previously suggested, I will return to seclusion in my place of solitude."

Rena furrowed her brow. She hesitated, then decided to speak anyway. "So, you're not planning to make a bunch of vampires, or something like that?"

The Ancient shook his head, affecting a wry smirk. "No, I most certainly intend nothing of a sort. I have observed first hand the folly of such enterprise. No good comes of that."

Drawing attention away from his wife's question, Forester cleared his throat. "Have you considered… perhaps instead of seeking refuge from Imperial authorities, you might choose to act in support of its interests? After a fashion, you did as much during the past few days."

The Ancient affected a thoughtful expression, before choosing his response. "Having observed the rise of the Septim regime and relative stability over the past few centuries… Well of course, I do find that preferable to other alternatives. However, it is not my place."

Forester's gaze seemed to convey that he did not strictly agree.

The Ancient continued. "In my view, the concerns of mortals are best left in the hands of mortals. If my time upon this world is not yet over, I believe I would serve it best by refraining from adding to its many problems… and perhaps, acting only to inhibit the activities of those like myself who might believe otherwise."

Forester's frowned. "I do recognise your… reasoning. However given the many years behind you and perhaps those ahead of you, are you not concerned for the future?"

The Ancient looked like he was about release a heavy sigh, but did no such thing. "I do recognise that the winds of change are upon the air. On the current path, it seems that open warfare between your Empire and the current rule of in the south might eventually become inevitable. At this point in time, it remains a war in the shadows, but that circumstance cannot hold forever. If not soon, then in the fullness of time, open warfare will erupt. War is never good for anyone, whatever the outcome."

Forester prompted him further. "Doesn't that concern you? Have you considered that you may have descendants who might suffer because of that… whichever side of the conflict they might find themselves?"

The Ancient tilted his head. "Perhaps. A lamentable circumstance… but one beyond the reach of my sphere of influence." He paused. "The notion of Imperial rule may not be at all perfect. Nonetheless, those other remaining provinces of the Empire… High Rock, Skyrim and Hammerfell…" He waved his hand to indicate any place not mentioned. "They each prosper well enough under the influence of Imperial custom. Though the rulers of each region may answer to an Emperor, each are permitted to rule over their own lands according to their own custom, more or less. I cannot imagine the same, were the current regime of the isles to gain dominion over those lands." He paused again. "To answer your question… yes, I suppose it does concern me, at least from a position of sentiment. However as I suggested, it is not my place to decide the future of mortal concerns."

Forester's expression seemed to reflect a frustrated resignation. An understanding that his words alone would not be enough to cause the Ancient to shift his position.

In that moment of silence, Rena turned her head sharply, looking back toward the counter area. Monika and Alex had evidently just returned from the cellar. Given Alex's behaviour just before, she was concerned over what might occur next. Though Rena couldn't hear what was being said, she observed Belwen moving to intercept Monika, thereby partially blocking Alex, since he was still behind her. Ras'Dar's posture indicated that he also feared that Alex was about to act rashly.

Belwen's gestures seemed to be directing Monika's attention toward the back room where Nerussa slept. Whatever it was that Belwen was saying at that moment, it also seemed to draw Alex's attention.

Rena's measure of tension eased somewhat as she observed Belwen guiding both Monika and Alex out the back to Nerussa's room. Ras'Dar remained by the counter, nervously splitting his focus between watching those other three depart for the back and still trying to keep a watchful eye toward the only occupied table in the tavern.

Only because of Rena's worried expression, Forester turned his head completely to see what was happening. He saw enough to surmise what transpired.

Forester cleared his throat once again. "With respect, I might suggest that it may well be best if you were to take your leave. Before there was any unpleasant trouble."

The Ancient returned a solemn nod. "I do understand. It is a time of heightened emotion. I have paid my respects, as best as is possible. Please explain the reasons for my presence, as best you can."

Forester and Rena remained seated as the ancient vampire rose from his chair. He inclined his head in a subtle bow. "I bid you both farewell and wish you well. Should we ever meet again, I should wish for better circumstances."

Both Forester and Rena returned silent nods. They remained quiet as they turned and watched the Ancient circle the table and cross the empty tavern. Though his gaze did not shift from the vampire, Ras'Dar did not move at all, nor speak. A moment later, they all heard the noise of the door closing as he departed the Wawnet.

~O~


	23. Chapter 23

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 23

Tirdas the 1st of Sun's Dusk 4E50 Mid Morning

The quiet tension remained in the air for a lengthy moment after the front door to the Wawnet Inn had closed. Ras'Dar continued to look toward the entry hall as though not fully convinced that the ancient vampire had actually departed.

Forester was feeling rather less concerned over whether the Ancient had gone on his way. On that matter, he was prepared to take him at his word. The source of his anxieties pertained to what might have otherwise occurred, had the vampire not chosen to leave so quietly at that opportune moment.

Rena's considerations were similar. She still wasn't fully across the specifics behind Alex's sustained level of raised hostility toward the Ancient. After all, they had all been casually victimised by the vampire during that first encounter, though with no lasting effects. As far as she understood, neither Alex nor her husband had suffered any further mistreatment during their extended period of captivity.

Rena most certainly did not like the vampire one little bit. Nor did she hold more than the bare minimum of trust that he would act in any way at all beyond his own interests. Still, she was not motivated to risk provocation that would most likely end very badly. Even in the current circumstances, she was having a difficult time trying to reconcile Alex's suddenly uncharacteristic behaviour. Gathering the two wineglasses as she rose from the chair, she made a mental note to speak some more on that with her husband in a more private setting.

Given that it really seemed far too early in the day for imbibing fine and expensive wines, Forester worked the cork back into the opening of the bottle. He then rose from the chair and followed Rena over toward the service counter.

Ras'Dar continued eying the entryway to the inn with suspicion. The ongoing twitching of his ears signalled that he was still listening for indication that the shadowy hallway was not quite as vacant as it appeared. Of course, his suspicions remained unsubstantiated.

Noises from the opposite direction caught the Khajiit's attention. Belwen emerged from the back area situated beyond the stone wall behind the counter area. Monika and Alex followed along behind her. As expected, each of them carried expressions reflecting the grim and sombre mood of the matter at hand.

Without seemingly giving it much thought, Belwen returned to the position behind the service counter. Ras'Dar quietly watched her with a look of concern.

Monika and Alex shuffled around toward the front of the counter to where Forester and Rena were standing. Alex cast a dark glance about the vacant tavern space. He'd obviously observed that the ancient vampire was no where to be seen, but passed no comment.

Rena looked to Monika with an empathetic gaze. "How's it… how are you?"

With a slight shrug and weak nod, Monika returned a heavy sigh. She allowed a short pause to pass before responding further. She seemed to avoid mentioning the cellar, or the obvious detail of that circumstance. Instead she spoke of what Belwen had just taken them to see in the back room. There had been a badly scrawled message left on the table beside Nerussa's bed. As Belwen had said, that note provided direction to a cache of papers in a wooden box tucked away beneath the bed.

The poorly written message certainly looked to be in Nerussa's hand, such as it was with her failing eyesight. However, the other papers in the wooden box were obviously penned by another.

Belwen interrupted, mentioning that she had not seen any of it before Nerussa had passed away. She had not assisted with writing those papers. She suspected that Flaenia might have helped, since she often visited with Nerussa in the back room. Still, according to Belwen, none of it had ever been previously mentioned to her.

Monika spoke of some of what was found in the box. There was a sealed letter addressed to Monika's mother. It was evidently a different one from those other letters that Belwen had helped write for her recently. There was another fairly short letter addressed to Alex as well as one for Belwen. There was a much longer letter addressed to Monika. She indicated that she hadn't read it properly yet.

Alex spoke up, mentioning that there were several other labelled messages in the cache. According to the labels, it seemed that they were meant to be sent off to various merchants and suppliers. He held up the one document that he'd kept on hand. "Nerussa must have known this was coming soon. She left plain instructions. The Wawnet is meant to pass fully to Monika."

Monika released a sigh, but said nothing as she stared into the flickering flame of a candle. Of course she knew that particular thing was Nerussa's intention, but she always thought that future would be much further away.

Alex continued. "Nerussa left other plain instructions." He again glanced to the document with a frown. "A particular method of preparation… then after that, her remains are to be burned upon a pyre upon the shoreline of Lake Rumare." He nodded his head toward the northern wall of the tavern, indicating the location beyond. "Some of her ashes are to be gathered and placed in an urn to remain at the Wawnet."

With a frown, Forester cleared his throat. "That doesn't really sound like a current Altmer tradition that I'm aware of."

"It's what she wants… wanted." Monika really didn't sound like she wanted to talk any further about that topic.

Ras'Dar turned his head sharply, looking toward the high-set wooden shutters along the southern wall. His sudden movement drew the attention of others. Forester's questioning glanced prompted the Khajiit.

The noise from outside only just started to become audible to others as Ras'Dar spoke. "The rain has arrived. Better to be inside, yes?"

Monika looked to Belwen with raised eyebrows. The question didn't require words.

The Bosmer wearily nodded her head. "The upstairs windows are all closed."

Monika returned a nod and released a heavy sigh. "Who else knows? About Nerussa?"

Belwen shrugged a little. "Probably everyone in the village, by now. Flaenia's husband and her son help me out. Some Legion soldiers that stopped in. One of them asked after her, so… so, I think that the word might soon be starting to spread."

Monika nodded again with a blank expression, absorbing those details.

Looking again to the document he was holding, Alex spoke. "There are messages and letters to be delivered. Other preparations to be looked at. I can help with all of that… make a start on it… once the rain eases."

"This one can help as well, yes?" Ras'Dar seemed keen to offer assistance. He glanced to Belwen. She responded with a forced smile of approval.

Rena maintained a sympathetic tone. "We can all help out." She paused to offer a strained smile. "What will you do now?"

Forester interjected. "I should imagine that balancing both the Fighters Guild and the Wawnet Inn might prove difficult."

Rena shot her husband a harsh glare, indicating that was not what she meant, or at least, that was not how she meant to have it said. "You don't need to be thinking about any of that just yet."

Monika shook her head slightly. "No, not yet… but yeah, I'm gonna need to think about it. Figure something out."

Alex sounded hesitant. "Are you… are you thinking of… leaving the Guild?"

Monika shook her head again, looking to Alex with a strained expression of uncertainty. "Dunno. Maybe. Not right away. Not yet." She shifted her gaze toward Belwen.

The Bosmer seemed to anticipate the unspoken question. "I think I can manage most of it here. Not everything, but most of it. I have a fair idea of most things, from helping Nerussa. But… but I might need more help."

Monika nodded absently. "We'll… we'll figure something out."

Alex wasn't exactly sure what he hoped for as far as what Monika might decide for the immediate future. In truth, certain aspects of the past couple of days had left him thinking he wasn't quite so certain of what he wanted either. In any event, he still intended to follow her lead. Of course, he kept those thoughts to himself for the moment. It wasn't the time for any rash decisions just yet. There would be plenty of time for more measured consideration later.

The dull roar coming from outside and pounding upon the roof of the Wawnet seemed to rise in intensity. It sounded like the rain was really coming down quite heavily. Any thoughts of marching back up the hill to the city on errands were set aside for the moment. In observance of Nerussa's wishes and instructions, there were several such things to be attended, but no pressing urgency to get them done right away.

* * *

Loredas the 5th of Sun's Dusk 4E50 Early Evening

The past few days had been an odd mixture of busied activity and prolonged moments of maudlin and idling about for those at the Wawnet Inn. Of course, Monika and Alex had previously advised Karl gro-Baroth that they were likely to be away from Chorrol's Guildhall for at least a week, so there was no pressing call to send word back about their prolonged absence. Added to that, there really were precious few Guild contracts on offer at the time. It was a similar case for the Skingrad Guild Fighters, having also told Guildhead Canne the same sort of thing about how long they might be away.

The rainfall that started on Tirdas morning remained somewhat persistent for a significant portion of the remainder of that day, only easing a little during the latter part of the afternoon. Due to that annoying circumstance, any thoughts of rushing back up to the city had remained thoroughly deferred. That evening at the Wawnet Inn, the tavern seemed uncharacteristically devoid of patrons. Aside from Belwen and the Guild Fighters, the only other persons to come into the place had been a pair of Legion soldiers taking a break. They'd only come inside a short time before dark and remained just long enough to eat, drink and then be their way again. The mood remained typically sombre as each of the Guild Fighters eventually retired to their respective rooms for the evening.

Though it remained cloudy on Middas morning, the threat of further rain appeared to be held at bay, if only tenuously. Before the weather had any opportunity to turn on them that morning, Alex, Forester and Ras'Dar set off for the city to deliver those messages to various recipients. There weren't really so many letters to deliver. However, the locations were spread out across a variety of locations, not only about the Market District, but also over at the Arcane University and down at the Waterfront District, among other places.

Since the matter had already been decided the previous afternoon, the recipients of the messages were advised that the funerary ceremony would take place on Loredas afternoon by the shoreline of Lake Rumare, just north of the Wawnet Inn.

In addition to the delivery of those messages, Alex sought to acquire some of the items listed as part of the preparations that Nerussa had detailed in that document that she left behind. It had been unexpectedly late in the day by the time that they were done in the city and had finally made it back to the Wawnet.

Rena had remained with Monika and Belwen at the inn that day. Her stated reason had been that she had intended to help out with whatever needed to be done in preparation of things to come. Of course, it was more the case that she was really only intending to keep Monika company, serving as a friendly shoulder to lean upon.

Aside from taking a brief walk outside to go take a look at the shoreline down behind the inn, both Rena and Monika remained inside for most of the day. There had been some casual talk of some of what needed to be done in coming days, but no opportunity to make a proper start on certain things just yet.

By the time that everyone was back at the tavern, the sun was low in the western sky and darkness not so far off. After brief exchanges concerning the tasks of the day, attention shifted toward the notion of evening meals. Belwen already had some pots on the boil.

Whether expected or otherwise, they didn't have the tavern to themselves on Middas evening. It wasn't like the Wawnet was at all busy, but nor was it idle. Some of the patrons were locals from the village. Though her husband and eldest son were notably absent, Flaenia had come in to have a drink and see how Monika and Belwen were faring. Two of the local farmers of the village had also come in with their spouses for a meal at the tavern. Of course, it was more the case that they were really there for the opportunity to offer their condolences and pay their respects.

That evening, there was but one irregular traveller stopping by the inn. In passing, the elderly Breton mentioned that he was a herbalist on his way to the Imperial City to deliver ingredients he'd collected in the West Weald. He also mentioned that the alchemists in the Market District and the Arcane University were always willing to pay for his wares. He paid coin to rent one of those tiny rooms by the bathrooms just next to the main tavern area. If he knew Nerussa well, he made no mention of it.

During that earlier part of the evening, some of the usual Legion riders taking breaks from their patrols had dropped by for food and drink. By then, it was evident that the word of Nerussa's passing had already started to spread among those soldiers. Each of them made a point of offering their respects in that regard.

After making some further plans for the next day, Monika and Alex again retired to their upstairs room above the tavern. Forester and Rena did the same in the adjacent room. Ras'Dar spoke with Belwen for a short while, insisting upon helping her with some of her duties, before also retiring to his small room next to where that elderly Breton was staying the night.

* * *

Turdas morning saw a start made on several things. Trying to take the task away from Monika's immediate concern, both Alex and Forester headed down to the cellar, looking to address some of those preparations that Nerussa had stipulated in that document she had left behind.

It was around mid-morning when an elderly Altmer mage from the Arcane University arrived at the Wawnet. She was one of those individuals who had received a message the day before. After speaking with Monika and then going down to the cellar, she proceeded to shoo away Alex and Forester, insisting upon taking over the task herself.

Leaving the Altmer mage to deal with that matter, Alex and Forester collected Ras'Dar and they headed outside to deal with another planned task. They firstly headed around the back of the Wawnet and down to the shoreline to survey the area that Monika and Rena had examined the previous day.

After deciding upon the what and where of things, they headed off to secure the suitable materials. Alex and Ras'Dar were off to acquire suitable timber and kindling for the pyre and Forester set himself to finding a suitable receptacle of metal for catching fallen ashes.

Despite the threat of possible inclement weather throughout parts of the day, the sporadic cloud cover overhead failed to deliver any rainfall at all. By the time that the tasks of the day were done, the evening soon became another one much like the one before for those at the Wawnet.

* * *

On Fredas morn, Rena accompanied Monika into the city. The primary task had been finding a suitable urn to accommodate Nerussa's wishes. That shouldn't have been quite so difficult, but it seemed that Monika had been determined to make it pass that way. Drawing upon uncommon patience, Rena did her best to steer her friend toward making an appropriate choice.

There were three other reasons for being in the city on that day. The first of which saw Monika visiting the Temple of the One to speak with the priest who Nerussa had nominated in her document of final wishes.

The elderly, but spry, Altmer priest at the temple had been another of those individuals to receive a message two days before and he already seemed fully aware of what had been asked of him. Monika only wanted to personally thank him in advance and make certain that he knew precisely where and when his services would be required.

The only other tasks Monika held in mind took them down to the Waterfront District of the city. Heading directly for the main office of the Imperial Trading Company by the docks, she looked to having a small bundle of letters packaged together for shipment to her mother's home in Wayrest. As well as those letters from Nerussa, Monika had taken the time the previous evening to pen another of her own.

Though it hardly seemed necessary, Monika sought out Olivia down by the waterfront where she toiled at her laundering work. They spoke only briefly. Monika wanted to ensure that Olivia knew that her services were still needed at the Wawnet. She also wanted to make sure that Olivia would be there for both Fredas and Loredas evenings.

By the time that Monika and Rena made it back to the Wawnet, the men had finally finished with the construction of the funerary pyre and also having cleared any other obstructions from that relatively level place by the shoreline.

Soon enough, the sun was again setting in the west. Olivia arrived at about that same time. The evening at the tavern began much like the past few. A few of the locals came into the Wawnet, perhaps more than the previous evenings or at least more at the very same time. A few Legion riders again stopped by on their breaks. Generally only two at a time, but at times overlapping in their timing.

Another uncommon traveller also arrived at the inn that evening. Forester recognised the somewhat agitated Altmer from Skingrad. He mentioned that he thought that Sinderion was rarely seen outside his rented home and alchemy laboratory, let alone venturing so far beyond the streets of Skingrad.

As Sinderion gruffly related his story, they soon learned that he had been lured to the Arcane University on the promise of meeting with someone bringing an important sample and information that specifically related to his own work. He was suitably annoyed that it turned out to be a total waste of his valuable time, due some unforseen delay.

Sinderion had firstly intended to ride directly back to Skingrad, however as he explained, it was just a few hours earlier that he learned from a passing acquaintance of Nerussa's passing. Of course, he offered his respects and lamentations. He made mention of how over the past several decades, Nerussa had sent many individuals his way to assist with his ongoing requirement for a steady supply of Nirnroot for his continuing research.

As he secured a room for the evening, with the intent of remaining overnight, Sinderion made a special point of encouraging both Belwen and Olivia to direct any collectors of Nirnroot in his direction. In fact, Belwen thought that he seemed far more concerned with that matter than any effort of expression regarding Nerussa's passing from the world.

From Forester's observation, he thought that it seemed rather out of character that the Altmer alchemist had even stopped by to pay his respects. That aside, he thought he remained just as annoying and obsessed by his own interests as previously recalled. In Forester's mind, there was no expectation that Sinderion would remain long enough to attend the ceremony of the next day. Furthermore, he counselled against wasting any effort trying to encourage him otherwise.

Other than having been somewhat busier with more meals to cook and patrons to serve, that evening at the Wawnet otherwise passed without any other notable incident or matter of interest.

During Fredas evening, Alex had silently noted to himself that Monika had seemed rather quiet and turned inward since returning from the city with that urn in hand. He didn't really find it terribly unexpected. After all, a great many things had to be on her mind. He expected that she would be more likely to open up with her thoughts once the funeral was behind them.

Alex was no stranger to loss. He had lost his father when he was too young to fully understand it. His father had gone off to serve Imperial concerns and just never returned. It was relatively more recently that he lost his grandmother, then grandfather and then finally his mother. Each of them falling to variation of age and infirmity. With no more family to lose, all of that had served to make him rather accepting of such things. For him, grief tended to manifest itself as a balanced mixture of sadness, disappointment and of course, acceptance.

Alex had been with Monika as she lost her father to infirmity in Wayrest. Of course given his advanced age and some reasonable forewarning from his own words, Nikulas' passing had not come as a total surprise. Added to that, she'd also been surrounded by her other family members at that time. He imagined that for some people, grief somehow became more manageable and diluted when spread out among a greater number of individuals. Still, even though everyone at the inn tried to provide support, it seemed to Alex as though Monika's reaction to Nerussa's passing was not exactly what he might have expected. More than that, she remained reluctant to speak of it further. He chose to remain patient.

* * *

Loredas morning arrived without any special fanfare. However as the day progressed, more and more people began to arrive at the Wawnet Inn. It started off rather slowly, but gained notable momentum as the sun rose higher in the sky.

The previous evening, Olivia had the foresight to suggest that she might need to start much earlier the next day. By the time that she arrived, just a short while before noon, the place had already become crowded and bustling. In fact, the volume of patrons served to encourage several to go back outside and shift around to the back of the inn and congregate about the slope overlooking the spot where that pyre had been constructed.

It seemed rather fortunate that so far the weather had remained moderately fair. A number of large patches of seemingly fickle cloud cover continued to roll overhead. Though it seemed like some of it represented rain-cloud, it remained far too high and insubstantial to actually deliver any precipitation.

Nerussa was not really known as a person of special importance, yet she was still known to many. She'd been there running the Wawnet Inn for longer than many could recall. If it could be said that she had very few close friends, in the same breath, it could be noted that she had numerous acquaintances. The great number of persons turning up to see her off that day affirmed that circumstance.

Of course, pretty much all of the village of Weye had set aside whatever else they might do to attend the send off for Nerussa on that Loredas afternoon.

Those other people arriving at Weye seemed a broad mix of individuals. A number of them were Altmer, but many of them were not. Many of them were recognisable merchants from the Imperial City, that Altmer alchemist from the Market District for one and the city's most famed fine tailor and clothier for another. There were some mages and other scholars apparently from both the Synod and the College of Whispers. A fair number of individuals were not immediately known to Monika or anyone she knew. Just a few of them seemed rather well to do, from outward appearance. Many others, rather less so. A few even seemed like people from the poorest part of the waterfront.

In due course, the time came for everyone to gather down by the shoreline for the funerary ceremony. That elderly Altmer priest presided over the proceedings. He began by reciting words praising the gifts of the Nine Divines and eventually ended with some words that Nerussa had provided for her final farewell.

Just a few other individuals had chosen to speak up and offer a few words. Nothing truly sounded like the words of a close friend, but expressions of respect and admiration were repeatedly spoken.

It seemed perfectly evident that Monika was not of a mood to address a gathering of relative strangers. In her own mind, she had already made her farewells. The priest had already spoken and delivered Nerussa's words. Since it seemed to her that very few of those present were truly friends of Nerussa, she thought that anything else that she might say to them seemed awkward or unnecessary. She hadn't verbalised any of that, merely offering a sad expression and a shake of her head in response to invitation to speak.

It was Forester who elected to speak briefly on her behalf. In fact, it actually seemed uncharacteristically brief for him. He merely reiterated the sense of respect and admiration that others had already spoken of and wished Nerussa well on her passage to her afterlife.

With nothing else to be said, the funeral pyre was ignited.

The sizeable gathering remained near the shoreline for a short period of time as the flames engulfed the wrapped bundle sitting atop. After the passage of a seemingly appropriate period of time, slowly at first, people began to turn and walk away. Some made their way back toward the Wawnet. Several more departed the area altogether, mostly headed back toward the Imperial City, except for those that lived in the village.

The period leading up to dusk remained quite busy in the tavern. That circumstance persisted into the earlier part of the evening, before gradually tapering off, as one by one, or in small groups, most individuals departed the Wawnet, leaving only those who worked there and those with Monika. Both Belwen and Olivia seemed near to exhaustion by that time.

Once the pyre had burned down somewhat, Forester had gone back outside to collect fallen ash to go into the urn that Monika acquired the day before.

Ras'Dar had been quite keen to help out with cleaning and tidying tasks about the tavern. Alex and Rena also chipped in to provide assistance. Though Monika was involved in some of that, she seemed wearily distracted and distant.

When Forester returned from outside with Nerussa's ashes, he looked slightly damp and dishevelled. He mentioned that it was raining very lightly. Monika silently accepted the urn from him and set it upon the shelf behind the service counter where it could be clearly seen.

With the tavern devoid of other patrons, Olivia was able leave a bit earlier than she might normally do on any other normal Loredas evening. Of course, things were far from normal that night.

Only a few brief discussions were had before everyone called it a night. Ras'Dar had already mention intent to head back to Skingrad soon. That had influenced both Forester and Rena in that matter. They all intended to head off the next morning to make that journey. Monika and Alex planned to remain at the Wawnet for another day or two before making their way to Chorrol. With that in mind, some farewells were made that evening before everyone retired to their respective rooms for the night.

* * *

Loredas the 5th of Sun's Dusk 4E50 Early Evening

Upstairs in the Ocato room of the Wawnet, Monika and Alex silently disrobed before preparing to climb into bed. Monika looked visibly worn as she settled in. Alex put out the last candle and clambered under the covers by her side.

Monika shifted position a few times before finding comfort.

Alex settled into position easily enough. However, though his body found a restful position, his mind remained more restless. He seemed hesitant to ask a question, or perhaps it was more the case that he was feeling somewhat nervous of the response. "So… what now?"

Monika turned her head slightly in his direction, though not able to really see his face in the dark. "What do you mean?"

"What will you do now… with the Wawnet?"

She snuggled in closer, resting her head upon his shoulder. "Dunno… yet. S'pose it's sorted for now. For the most part."

Alex didn't immediately respond.

She continued. "She wanted me to have it… the Wawnet. Keep it running. Belwen knows what to do."

Alex returned a noise of wordless acknowledgment. Only a small part of his open question had been addressed. He chose not to press any further.

Sounding sleepy, Monika spoke again. "Keep doing what we do… for now."

"And later?"

"Dunno. We think about later… later."

They remained in silent embrace until restful sleep took hold.

~O~


	24. Chapter 24

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 24

Fredas the 28th of Frostfall 4E71 Early Afternoon

Alexander Pinewatch wiped the beads of sweat from his brow, setting aside the tilling fork and planting it in the exposed dirt. He was just thinking that even for the central region of Cyrodiil, it seemed unseasonably warm for so late in Frostfall. From his best recollection, it had been much cooler at that time of year over most of the past decade. Though the winters had still not been nearly as cold as he remembered from growing up in Falkreath, nearly every winter of the past twenty years had been fairly cool about Lake Rumare. He felt certain that had been the case since that brief run of warm and mild winters just after he had first came down from the northern land on the far side of the Jerall Mountains.

Of course over the past few weeks, many of the evenings and early mornings had still carried the chilly promise of the coming winter. However, other than those few rainy days about a fortnight before, most days still seemed to be unusually warm about midday and well into the afternoons. It was nothing at all like the height of a Cyrodilic summer, but warmer than usual for late Frostfall, nonetheless.

Alex cast an eye over the winter crops that he'd been tending in his field. The unusually sustained warmth had contributed to a little burst in early leaf growth. That wasn't really supposed to happen for a while. With the usually slower growth, those crops weren't meant to be ready for harvest until the very tail end of winter. In the event of a particularly severe frost, that might be of concern to some of those plants. Still, a frost like that wasn't so common that close to the lake and so far, it did appear even less likely that year.

Alex's relatively smaller farm wasn't any more substantial than any of those others situated about the village of Weye, but it did well enough. Of course, it was nothing at all like those larger ones, like the Odiil Farming settlement just south of Chorrol or those sprawling farmlands about Skingrad. The nearby livestock farming about Aleswell, along with the terraced plots about the slopes below the main township collectively supplied far more produce to the Imperial City than what came from Weye's small farms. Over the far eastern side of Lake Rumare, the broad rolling fields about Cropsford were also a significant source of supply to the city. Even the settlements of Pell's Gate, Faregyl and Ione sent most of their excess farm produce northward to the Imperial City. Added to that, other imports from further afield regularly arrived by sailing ship after coming up along the Niben waterways.

Of course, Alex's small farm was never really intended to become a major competitor to any of those other farming operations. Still, the fields provided more than enough for their own relatively modest requirements. Aside from providing much to their own larder, it also yielded enough to supply some of what was needed for the Wawnet Inn, with more left over.

Given the limitations of the size of his land, he'd never taken much interest in running livestock. Usually, there was rarely more than a single cow and a handful of chickens. That was just enough to produce an adequate supply of eggs and milk for their own needs.

Some years, Alex had actually raised a pig or two for the slaughter, or sometimes a couple of sheep. However with the near proximity of the city and passing trade of other farm supply, it generally seemed far easier to acquire lesser portions of a broader variety of meats from nearby merchants.

After a few failed attempts and some help from that Khajiiti farmer from Faregyl, Alex had managed to establish those three beehives at the back of the farm. Provided that he was careful not to make a mess of things, those hives would continue to provide an adequate of supply of honey. More than once, he'd harvested far more than they could possibly make use of. Since selling excess honeycomb was never a challenge, that was never a bad thing.

In a way, that sort of thing was part of the trick of trying to successfully run a small farm so close to the Imperial City. The farm was primarily angled toward providing for their own needs. Still, choosing to grow certain crops that were somewhat less commonly grown, or otherwise in less plentiful supply in the local region helped to ensure a demand for some of those harvests specifically intended for market sale in the city.

Alex shifted his attention toward the irrigation ditch that ran downhill from that small lake located up above the old ruins of Fort Nikel. He'd been meaning to go look to cleaning those sections of the channel where the sides had fallen in. It hadn't completely blocked the flow of water, but he needed to get around to that job before it became much worse.

A noisy crow calling out from the top of the farmhouse drew his gaze. It also served to remind him of another neglected task. He needed to get up on the roof and attend to some minor maintenance, before it became a major problem. In the general scheme of things, the farmhouse didn't seem so old, but it still required some ongoing work to keep it in condition.

It sometimes seemed just a little strange to him how quickly the years rolled by. A number of things hardly seemed like so long ago, until he paused to take stock. Twenty-one years had passed by since Monika became the full owner of the Wawnet, after the passing of Nerussa. It had been almost twenty years since they had given up full time service with the Fighters Guild.

Monika actually continued to serve on a part time basis for another six months longer than he did, before fully retiring from taking Guild contracts. During that period, Alex started his work on preparing that farmland at the edge of Weye. Building that farmhouse took a little while longer to complete than he expected. Obviously, they were able to make use of the Wawnet. However, they both agreed it would be better to have a place of their own outside of the inn.

It was not so long after that, when Monika finally agreed to marriage. In fact, it was really more the case that she finally made the suggestion herself. By that time, they had been living as though they were husband and wife for more than four years. Alex had mostly given up on trying to pressure her to make it official and had more or less grown to accept things as they were. Nonetheless, he had been easily as overjoyed as he was surprised by her unexpected shift on that matter.

The wedding had been a quiet ceremony, held on the third of Sun's Dawn back in fifty-two. Avoiding the bustle of the Imperial City, it was conducted by the lake behind the Wawnet. Through a mutual acquaintance, Monika had been able secure the services of a priestess of Mara to officiate.

Only a few of their close friends had been able to attend the wedding. None travelled further than from Chorrol or Skingrad. At the time, Alex had no other living family and all of Monika's immediate family lived far across the land in Wayrest.

Though they had already left the Fighters Guild behind by then, there was no keeping Karl gro-Baroth away. Though he was particularly disappointed over Monika leaving the Guild, he was openly pleased for the both of them. After all, they got the chance to have something that circumstances had denied him.

In stark contrast with the warm afternoon sunlight, a breeze suddenly came up from the south, bringing a subtle chill to the air. Alex felt a mild twinge of pain in his right shoulder. It was a reminder of that injury that he'd sustained during an encounter with a bear more than twenty years before. It seemed to act up a little more since he'd passed the mark of fifty, but only usually during the colder weather.

Alex turned and looked about to see something else coming from the south. A pair of slow moving riders were approaching along the Red Ring Road from that direction. Not more than an hour before, a Legion patrol had passed by headed in that direction. However, those two riders coming toward him were not soldiers. It was plain enough that they were not dressed in Legion armour. He recognised both of those approaching riders easily enough.

The face of the aging Colovian man with the cropped head of light gray hair and trimmed gray beard was immediately familiar to him. The face of the slightly younger woman with the darker coloured hair riding at his side was just as familiar.

Though the passage of time had worn upon both his friends over the past two decades, he still saw them often enough that those changes had seemed fairly gradual. Alex imagined that his own rapidly fading brown hair would likely be just as gray by the time that he also reached his early sixties.

Unlike in times gone by, neither of those travellers wore proper armour. They were dressed fairly plainly, but with quality coats to keep any measure of the approaching winter at bay, not that it seemed so necessary with those persistent warmer afternoons. Even though they travelled without armour, the blades at their sides served to illustrate that they seemed perfectly capable of defending themselves, if the need arose.

Friendly nods were exchanged as they approached nearer. Alex waited a moment longer until Forester and Rena pulled their horses up close. Looking over to his friends, he formed an easy grin. "You both look well. Retirement seems to suit you."

Forester cleared his throat noisily, affecting a serious expression. "You know full well that the stall in the Skingrad marketplace keeps us busy enough."

Alex returned a broad smile. He did know well enough of the modest business they operated. That came about shortly after Forester had renewed contact with his son from his first marriage. Mattias had made good use of the sum of gold that his father had reserved in trust for him. He ran a small business in Kvatch where he made all sorts of furniture and the like. It was Rena's idea to sell some of his product in Skingrad. That's how they ended up running that stall from the open marketplace of Skingrad's Low Street. They'd been doing that for nearly seven years. Ever since they both retired from active Fighters Guild service. Sales and orders could sometimes be sporadic, but since they owned the house over in the Chapel District and held some sizeable sum of funds in reserve, their ongoing needs were rather modest.

Rena spoke up. "That new oak chest arrive okay, a few weeks back?"

Alex returned a nod. "Yeah, it did. Monika will want to thank you directly." He tilted his head in the direction of the Wawnet.

"Mattias does good work." Forester beamed with a measure of pride.

"Monika is well?" Rena prompted.

"Yeah, good as always." Alex paused with a frown. "Did you come straight from Skingrad?" He was just thinking that they would have needed to set off sometime during the early hours to be there so early in the day.

Rena grinned mildly. "Oh no, we've just come from Pell's Gate. Stayed there at the inn last night."

Forester explained further. "We've just returned from visiting Rena's sister and family down at Water's Edge. They're doing quite well down there."

Nothing more needed to be said. He assumed that they would have stayed somewhere at Bravil the night before. Alex knew that Lucia and her husband were trading merchants by the portside part of Water's Edge. He also knew not to ask about her younger brother, since he'd passed away in Leyawiin just two winters back.

Forester prompted with another question. "Well then, how are the younger members of the Pinewatch household?"

Alex nodded. "Both good. Nikula has just gone sixteen, so she thinks she knows everything. She is just about finished with her schooling. Monika wants her to look at attending the Arcane University, but… but she thinks that she wants to write for the Black Horse Courier or some such." He shook his head, expressing a touch of disbelief.

"And young Erik?"

"He still has another two years, if he sticks at it."

Forester raised his eyebrows. "Not so interested in schooling?"

Alex shrugged. "He does well enough, but no… probably not so interested. He helps me out around here. I figure he probably expects to take over the farm. He does like talking to travellers at the Wawnet, but I think he probably just wants to follow in my footsteps. I think he sees that as… as the easy way." He shrugged again.

"Speaking of the Wawnet?" Rena indicated the direction of the inn.

Looking in the same direction, Alex returned a nod. "I think I am about done here anyway. Might as well head over with you, right now." He knew he had those other neglected tasks that he could be doing, but those things were quickly set aside in his thoughts.

As they ambled along toward the Wawnet, they exchanged some idle talk about the weather and a few other inconsequential things were mentioned of the past days of journey along the Green Road through County Bravil.

Along the way, Alex passed comment regarding their horses. Though he expected as much, Forester mentioned that they came from his brother's stables at Brindle Home. Marcus always insisted that they come to him for mounts whenever they were travelling further afield.

As they neared the inn, a pair of Legion riders passed by on their way toward the bridge across to the City Isle. Rena commented upon those new uniforms that the Legionnaires had been wearing the past couple of years. That new armour featured lighter mail, less metal plate and notably more leather. Forester expected that those soldiers probably appreciated those new outfits during the warmer months, but most likely less so during the colder seasons. Alex suggested that the reason behind the change was probably more to do with the lesser expense of producing that kind of armour. Nobody disagreed.

With the horses stabled across the road, Alex helped with their packs as they headed for the inn. A pair of noisy crows greeted them from the tree beside the building. Though some parts of the Wawnet had been refurbished twice in the past twenty years, the front of the building was starting to look a little shabby again. The stonework was in need of a fresh wash down and some of the timberwork needed repainting. Even so, it mostly remained in good condition. The re-thatched roofing certainly had a lot of years left in it and that extended front awning about the roadside entrance always seemed inviting during inclement weather.

Alex stepped aside as Forester opened the timber door and held it for Rena to pass through first, then the men followed along behind.

~O~


	25. Chapter 25

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 25

Fredas the 28th of Frostfall 4E71 Mid Afternoon

Stepping inside the Wawnet, Alex followed along behind Forester and Rena. The short hallway remained just a little dark with the front door closed. With the stone walls along either side, it still felt a little enclosed, but the lighting from the lamp at the far end served as a beckoning beacon.

Off toward the right, the light coming from the tavern area appeared notably brighter than what came from that sconce on the wall. As was often the case during fair weather, all of the high-set wooden shutters along the southern wall were pulled wide open. Those other newer windows added to the stone wall on the eastern side also contributed to the daylight reaching inside the main space.

Though the tavern was not quite so bright and airy during the evenings, it was not nearly as dimly lit as it seemed a few decades before. With the ceiling of the tavern being far too low for suspended lighting, a number of additional wall-mounted lamps had been added some years back. The overall effect did seem to make the place look far more inviting.

Even the service counter area seemed a little brighter and more open. Mounted upon the wall behind the bar, there was a high-set shelf. Upon that shelf sat a sealed burial urn. It was placed so that it could be clearly seen from most parts of the tavern area. Even though she was long gone, that served as monument to Nerussa's memory.

With a mild expression of curiosity upon her face, the slender female Bosmer standing by that counter looked up to see who had just arrived.

Rena spoke up first. "Belwen, how are you?"

"I'm quite well." The Bosmer's face lit up with a genuine smile.

Compared to her human friends, it seemed as though only half the past two decades had any notable affect upon her outward appearance. During the passage of that time, she'd remained there all those years running the inn by Monika's side.

Just a short pause passed as she looked over the visitors, then Belwen prompted further. "You both look well. Things are well with you?"

Rena responded for both of them. "Yeah, things are well. We're doing alright. So, where's that husband of yours today?"

Belwen rolled her eyes a little. "Somewhere out in the West Weald. He said he would back before Sundas."

Though he was more than fifteen years her senior, Edalfin had turned out to be good match for her. Though he was also Bosmer, moderately handsome and quite likeable in manner, she hadn't readily taken to him at first. Unlike Belwen, he was not originally from Valenwood. He'd been born and raised in Bravil. Not that such things really had much to do her initial disinterest. She just hadn't been interested in pairing with any suitor. He'd pursued her for a good year before she even offered him any serious consideration. Nonetheless, his persistence eventually paid off and that turned out just right for the both of them in the end.

Edalfin's work often kept him away from the Wawnet for days at a time. He served as a ranger of sorts contracted to the Legion. He received only a minor stipend for his service. In effect, he remained a freelance hunter. However, he was required to roam the south of the West Weald, from the upper reaches of the White River across to the upper reaches of the Strid, south of Skingrad. His contracted responsibilities required him to report upon activities along the border with the Elsweyr Kingdoms, but more importantly, also keeping a watchful eye toward the Valenwood border of the Aldmeri Dominion.

Responding to the sounds of voices, Monika emerged from the passageway leading to the back room, still holding a journal in one hand. Her look of surprise quickly shifted to an expression of delight. "Rena, Forester. Didn't think we'd be seeing you until some time tomorrow. At the earliest."

As Alex dashed upstairs to deposit the travelling packs in the Ocato room upstairs, Forester offered another quick explanation of where they'd just been. Rena added that after those past few days on the road, she was quite looking forward to staying in one place for a short while. As Alex had previously suggested, Monika was quick to express her gratitude for that oak chest that arrived a few weeks before. It was actually for Nikula, intended to replace a much older and inadequate one that she'd outgrown. That new chest had arrived just in time for her birthday.

During a brief pause, Monika extended an offer to provide something from the tavern's bar. Forester politely declined, indicating the water flask upon his belt. Rena agreed with her husband, suggesting that anything else could wait until dinnertime.

Alex returned from upstairs just as Monika was suggesting that both Forester and Rena were looking really well and that travelling by horseback must be so much easier than marching along the roads.

Forester nodded ambivalently without expressing comment.

Rena snorted ironically. "Feeling well? Yeah, but looking old."

Monika responded with a reassuring smile. "No, not at all. B'sides, like they say, you're only as old as you feel."

With a sigh and a crooked smile, Rena accepted the comment in the spirit that it was offered. Still, she was thinking that it was much easier for Monika. With her mother's Altmer blood, very few of her seventy-odd years seemed to show upon her face. At the most, she looked like she might have just reached the age of forty, and a very healthy and easy forty at that. Rena was less than two years from joining her husband on the far side of sixty and she held no illusion in mind of anything otherwise.

"Ras'Dar not coming?" Belwen asked the question, shifting the topic.

Forester cleared his throat. "Well, no. Not this year. As I understand it, he's rather busy at the Guildhall, back in Skingrad."

"Busy? At this time of year?" Alex's frown conveyed his scepticism.

Rena scoffed. "Rather 'moody', more like."

Forester raised his eyebrows. "Perhaps so, but also rather busy… with the initial training of those two fresh Guild recruits."

"New recruits?" Alex sounded curious, still wondering how that was directly affecting Ras'Dar. He thought that the porter usually handled new recruits at first.

Forester nodded. "Well, yes. As you know, Temel-Za is still serving as Skingrad's current Guild Porter. One of those new recruits is a Dunmer, fresh from Morrowind."

Expressions of general understanding were exchanged. Most of them knew that the crusty old Argonian begrudgingly accepted local Dunmer, but remained somewhat hostile toward any gray-skins born and raised in their native land. Evidently training that dark-elf had fallen to Ras'Dar. After all, he was easily the other most experienced and skilled individual at that Guildhall. Only Elynwen was superior to those other two and she was generally busy with running the office.

Forester continued. "As I understand it, that new Dunmer shows some interesting potential. Though he's rather young and only a moderately skilled combatant, he possesses some fair skill with magic. Not exactly a highly trained mage, but somewhat skilled."

Rena interjected with a laconic tone. "He was just a frost merchant."

Forester explained. "He was previously serving on merchant vessels. Primarily using his magic skills to keep perishable shipments chilled during transport. He came to Skingrad only recently, after parting from the Imperial Trading Company. Still, Ras'Dar seems enthusiastic that he can whip him into proper shape."

"He's still been moody." Rena scoffed again.

Alex shook his head in silent question.

Forester cleared throat again. "Yes well, that's another matter. That's more related to his pursuit of that younger Cathay over in Faregyl. The daughter of that farmer who he'd previously placed you in contact with."

Alex nodded silently, thinking of the Khajiit who'd helped him with his beehives.

Monika shook her head. "That again? I thought that nothing ever came of that."

Forester scratched an itching earlobe. "Well, no. It didn't."

Rena chimed in. "Ras'Dar didn't give up so easily. Even though she wasn't having any of it, he just kept trying to win her over." She paused to shake her head. "I got the impression that she had her eye on a trader from one of those trading caravans. A big dark coloured Cathay-raht from Riverhold who passes through regularly."

Belwen responded with a sympathetic expression. "Poor Ras'Dar."

Forester shuffled uncomfortably. "Yes well, the ways of the Khajiit can be rather mysterious."

Rena snorted again. "Yeah. Even to them."

Alex tried to sound optimistic. "Well, it sounds like he is doing well at the Guildhall."

Forester nodded. "Yes, he is. He's come a long way since those early days. He's a ninth rank Guild Fighter now. He's been second-in-charge at Skingrad, ever since Beaufort went back to High Rock."

Everyone already knew all of that, but Forester's words served to again highlight his elevated opinion of the diminutive Suthay. After all, he did have a lot to do with Ras'Dar's earlier training, back in the day. Accordingly, he took some pride in how his influence had played some part in just how well the Khajiit had turned out with the Guild.

Monika indicated the chairs about the table situated nearest to the bar. Though no one was eating or drinking, sitting down seemed far more comfortable. With the tavern so quiet, they remained near enough for Belwen to still hear and participate in conversation.

Rena cast a curious glance about the empty tavern. "Seems a bit quiet in here. How's business been?"

Belwen offered ominous warning. "It's only the calm before the storm."

Monika affected a tight grin. "Business has been fine. This is just the typical Fredas afternoon lull, before things get busy tonight. Tomorrow is likely get even busier ahead of Sundas. Then, things will settle down a bit again. Especially after Morndas. Otherwise, business is steady enough, most of the time. Not too quiet, not too noisy."

That last part prompted a thought from Alex. He looked to Forester. "Have you heard from Frederick the Loud lately?"

After waiting for the expected chuckles to pass, Forester responded to the question with a reserved smile. "Well, not directly. Not for some time. As you know, he has retired to that small farm outside the walls of Anvil."

Alex nodded. "Yes, I recall you saying. I just thought that you might have heard from him. He used to drop by here from time to time, but not for a while now."

Monika furrowed her brow. "Don't think we've seen him here since before he left the Guild."

Forester shrugged mildly. "I don't suppose that you would have. The last time we saw him was when he passed through Skingrad, on his way over to Anvil. Perhaps, three years past?" He looked to his wife.

Rena nodded. "Yeah, about that."

Forester continued. "From what I'd heard from others, he doesn't travel any more. He merely potters about with that plot of land he acquired, enjoying the warmer clime of the Gold Coast and making enough coin to accommodate his taste for ale."

Rena chuckled. "That farm must be doing well."

"Yes, quite." Forester agreed, suppressing the urge to smile.

Alex thought of another. "What about Alaron Suvaris? I cannot recall seeing him around here in more than a year."

Belwen spoke up. "I saw that other one here, just a few months ago. Arvel?"

Forester corrected her. "Arvon. Arvon Aldreth."

Belwen shrugged. "Arvon. He was with an older Nord woman. He mentioned that Suvaris hadn't come back to Cheydinhal yet. I don't think he said any more than that."

Forester nodded. "As I understand it, Suvaris set off for Morrowind, in search of a relative he'd thought long dead. After receiving word from a third party. Mournhold bound, I believe."

With furrowed brow, Alex returned a nod. "You did tell me something about that. Must have been about a year back. I would have thought…"

Forester's expression seemed less certain than his words. "I'm certain that he will be perfectly fine. There are few more capable Guild Fighters than Suvaris."

Rena nudged her husband with her elbow. "Of course he's fine. Probably just got himself sidetracked."

Monika added something. "Even if he started at Mournhold, things coulda taken him elsewhere. Mainland Morrowind is still a big place."

There was no arguing with those points. Though not nearly as densely populated as parts of the devastated island of Vvardenfell had once been, the remainder of that land did cover a vast area. Added to that, travel to certain parts remained more difficult than in times long gone by.

Forester cleared his throat noisily. "Tell me, has there been any further word from Karl gro-Baroth, since his retirement from the Guild?"

Alex and Monika both nodded, but Monika spoke up first. "Yeah, got another letter a couple of months back. He visited my mother, up in Wayrest. Sent the letter from the city."

Alex chimed in. "He's still living in that small farming town in the north-west, with his brother and his family. Still helping with running the farm."

Monika clarified the location. "Ripwold. About a full day's ride from Wayrest. Below the Wrothgarian Mountains."

Rena nodded silently, trying to picture that part of High Rock on a map.

Forester tilted his head thoughtfully. "I should imagine that must represent quite a change of pace for him."

Monika shrugged. "That's what he wants. Live out his days watching over his brother's family. His children and grandchildren."

Rena frowned. "Are they like… like 'wild Orcs', up there?"

Monika shook her head. "Not really. Not in the towns. S'posed to be some warrior tribes up in the mountains somewhere, if they're still there." She paused to chuckle. "S'pose Uzgark's grandchildren might qualify as 'wild Orcs'."

Monika's comment elicited some subdued chuckles from others.

Of course, Karl had far fewer days ahead of him than he had behind him. In truth, he never really expected to live quite so long, let alone long enough to retire to a life of relative leisure. Nonetheless, he'd really done about as much with the Fighters Guild as he could reasonably expect during his lengthy tenure as Guild Master and he seemed content enough to leave it to others to continue on in his stead. Though he never did get to do much about re-establishing any proper Guild presence in either Skyrim or Morrowind, he'd managed to make a notable difference in Hammerfell and also reconnect with those Guildhalls of High Rock. Of course, those other lands beyond the influence of the Empire would remain beyond the reach of Chorrol's Guildhall, but nothing could really be done about that. Whether that new Guild Master would do near as well as Karl, remained to be seen.

Just then, there were some rowdy noises coming from the front entrance of the Wawnet. The sounds of younger voices were followed by the loud bang of the front door being slammed far harder than seemed at all necessary.

Without looking in the direction of the entryway, Monika sighed. "Sounds like the 'wild Orcs' are here."

Alex raised his eyebrows, only suggesting a mild protest that remained unspoken.

They all waited quietly for the arrivals to come into the tavern area.

~O~


	26. Chapter 26

Winds of Change: An Elder Scrolls Novel

Greg J Miller

~O~

Chapter 26

Fredas the 28th of Frostfall 4E71 Late Afternoon

After the noises of a scuffle and some subdued arguing near the front door, two figures emerged from the entryway to the Wawnet Inn. The two youngsters shuffled into the main tavern area.

The tall girl with the sullen expression looked a lot like Monika, only her hair was just a shade darker and the shape of her ears a little less angular. Aside from her obvious resemblance to her mother, there seemed very little outward indication of her grandmother's Altmer blood.

The younger lad trailing along behind her seemed annoyed over something. At a glance, it was easy enough to see Alex's features in his face. The colour of his hair seemed a just a touch lighter and his ears looked a bit atypical for a Nord, but otherwise he seemed very much his father's son.

Nikula's expression shifted markedly as she noticed the visitors seated about the table with her parents. "Forester, Rena, you're here early."

Erik's face lit up as well, though he remained silent, standing off to the side about a pace behind his older sister.

Rena smiled broadly. "Look at you two." Since she'd never been able to have children of her own, she often marvelled at the sight of her friends' offspring with a mixture of joy and restrained envy.

Forester was also looking them over, with a mild frown hanging above his smiling face. "I'm quite certain that the both of you have grown even taller again in the months since I last saw you."

Nikula affected a mischievous grin. "I'll bet I probably have, but not 'shorty'."

Erik's dark glare hurled imaginary daggers into his sister's back.

After failing to provoke any sensible responses from either of the younger Pinewatch's with regard to their schooling, Forester and Rena went on to offer another brief recount of their journey down through County Bravil to the port township of Water's Edge. Erik seemed disappointed that they didn't have any tales of danger or excitement to report from their journey, saying as much. Nikula acted like she knew better, reminding her brother that 'things like that don't happen every day of the week, otherwise nobody would ever get anywhere'. Rena shifted the topic, mentioning that she was thinking about going up to the city to visit the markets on Loredas, before things became really busy up there. Nikula seemed excited by that notion, mentioning several of the stores and stalls of the Market District by name.

Monika was quick to nip her daughter's thoughts in the bud. "I need to have you around here to help out tomorrow. Told you that before."

"Mother." The pouting daughter looked to her father.

Alex didn't offer any refuge, merely tilting his head in Monika's direction.

Monika continued. "Going to be busy here tomorrow. Probably through the day and into the night."

"What about the festival? You said…"

"I know what I said. It's just tomorrow. After that, things will be settled enough to go up to the city on Sundas. We're coming along as well. All of us."

"Coming with? I don't need…"

Monika raised her eyebrows, daring her daughter to raise the stakes. "Keep it up and I'll be asking Forester to conjure a tracking spell to put on you."

Forester maintained an unreadable visage.

Nikula rolled her eyes and huffed. "Alright. Helping out here tomorrow. Festival in the city on Sundas. I get it. Can I go home now?"

Monika let out a short sigh. "Alright, off you go." Her daughter was already in motion before she had a chance to get out the next thing. She shouted after her. "Don't leave a mess in the kitchen."

Alex looked to Erik. He hadn't shifted yet. The look on his face seemed to telegraph that something was on his mind. "What is wrong?"

Erik frowned, looking away. "Nothin'."

Alex didn't leave it at that. "Looks like something to me."

Erik huffed. "Ah, it's them Stendarr idiots."

"'Those' Stendarr… idiots." Alex corrected his laziness.

The son nodded his acceptance. "Those Stendarr idiots… they were hanging about the Temple District again."

"Causing trouble?" Alex prompted.

"Givin' Tavis a hard time. Just because he's a Dunmer. Saying that he's from a line of Daedra worshippers an' the Vigil of Stendarr won't stand for that."

Forester interjected. "Were they directly accusing him of Daedra worship?"

Erik squirmed a bit. "Not exactly. Just kinda saying that Dunmer can't be trusted."

"And?" Alex prompted him further.

"Yeah, I went and told 'em off. Told 'em to stop picking on young Dunmer boys."

"Is that all?" Alex pressed him.

Erik huffed again. "Just a bit of yelling an' that. A guard from the City Watch came over. She told 'em to leave us alone and told us to get home."

Alex let out a little sigh. "What have I told you about those lot?"

Erik shuffled uncomfortably. "Stay out of their way. Don't try to argue with idiots."

Alex returned a silent nod.

Erik huffed and mumbled. "Can I go home?"

Alex maintained an even tone. "Okay then."

Monika added her piece. "Make sure your sister doesn't go messing up the house."

"I will." The lad shouted back as he was disappearing into the front passageway.

Rena shook her head. "Bloody Stendarr idiots." Everyone present knew of her dislike of the Vigil of Stendarr. Their intrusion upon Fighters Guild interests in Kvatch had played a part in her reasons for leaving that city behind decades before.

Forester cleared his throat. "Yes well, sometimes we must merely endure and continue onward."

Rena scoffed. "Be easier if the Emperor did something about them."

Forester maintained a measured tone. "I'd imagine that circumstances might be more difficult, if he didn't maintain some measure of control over the Vigil of Stendarr. So long as they are officially recognised, he can exert some influence to keep them reigned in."

Rena shook her head, making a noise to indicate her difference of opinion.

Monika spoke up. "I heard that they got to set up some sort of temple over in Wayrest."

Forester raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?"

With a shrug, Monika continued. "According to my brother, they even managed to get a seat on the Guild's Board of Associates over there. They still have to negotiate with the proper temples, Fighters Guild and Wayrest Mages Guild… and follow the Queen's law. So yeah, they're kept under control… sort of."

Alex mentioned another thing. "I hear that the Vigil are still kept from preaching on the streets of Chorrol. They are permitted to come and go from the chapel, but other activities are to be kept outside the city walls."

Rena's dark expression matched her words. "Still say, we'd be a lot better off without them. Just troublemakers."

Alex frowned, sensing that there might be something else left unsaid behind her comments. "Has there been… something else… with the Vigil of Stendarr?"

Forester nodded grimly. "Well, yes. There was something of an incident at Skingrad, just after we last saw you." He paused to collect his thoughts. "A number of Vigilants had quietly entered the city, not declaring themselves, as such. They then proceeded to hold a public protest of sorts on the streets. They were claiming that Count Hassildor was a master of Daedric influences and that his position stood as an offence to Stendarr and the other Divines. Of course, the Count's soldiers sent them packing. They were forced to get out of town or face an extended period in the lockup."

Alex shook his head. "The Count must be a powerful mage, like everyone says, since he is supposed to be so old, but… 'Daedric influences'?"

Forester shrugged. "Who can say? He never seems to venture outside the castle, but given his longstanding efforts to see to the protection of the people of County Skingrad and keep the city free of vampires and other unnatural creatures… Well, the Count does have the firm support of the people… and the Vigil of Stendarr remain unwelcome about Skingrad."

Rena's silent scowl persisted, as others offered silent nods.

Belwen interrupted the pause. "I'm going to start on the stew for tonight. The venison or the pork?"

Monika responded. "Better use up the pork. Save the venison for tomorrow night."

Belwen returned an agreeable nod and set to work.

Monika looked back to the others about the table. "Where were we? Those ah…?"

Forester cleared his throat loudly. "Enough of that subject, I should think. I must say that I am quite looking forward to this year's Emperor's Day festival on Sundas. I have heard that a famed troupe of bards travelled all the way from Solitude to perform in the heart of the Empire."

Rena's expression lightened somewhat. "Yeah, read about in the Courier. Can't remember… what were they called?"

"Yeah, I read that too." Monika was also trying to recall what she'd read.

Evidently, Forester remembered more clearly. "The 'Honey-eyed Rock Warblers', if I recall that correctly. They are said to perform a mixture of stage-play and musical song."

"Rock Warblers?" Alex frowned. As far as he knew, he'd never actually seen any Rock Warblers about Falkreath, but he'd heard of them. He understood that those birds were meant to be fairly common throughout The Reach region of Skyrim. Though he had no first hand knowledge, he expected that their call must be especially musical.

Monika shrugged lightly. "The bards sound interesting enough. I'm not real interested in going to the Arena, but there's s'posed to be lots of other stuff to see during the festival."

Alex shifted in his seat. "I do not want to miss Treb's Emperor's Day address."

Forester nodded. "Yes, I would also like to hear what Emperor Attrebus has to say this year."

Rena expressed a sigh of annoyance. "Thought he woulda done more about reuniting the provinces by now. At least those parts that could be brought back into the Empire, but nothing's changed much since his father."

Forester cleared his throat again. "Yes well, I do believe that there's little to be done with regard to Valenwood or the Summerset Isles. The Aldmeri Dominion remains closed to outsiders."

Monika interjected. "Argonia ain't much different. They'll do some trade with the Empire, but they're not about to rejoin of their own choice… and the Empire's in no position to make them."

Rena shook her head. "Yeah, but Elsweyr. I thought he woulda done something about that. To finish what he started."

Alex sounded somewhat conciliatory "I do not think it is that simple."

Forester added his thoughts. "No, not simple at all. I might have thought that Rimmen could have been persuaded to join the Empire, but it seems that they value their independent status rather more. And the others? Many of the southern Kingdoms are said to be at war with one another half the time. The Kingdoms of Riverhold, Dune and even Orcrest might have agreed to conditional trade treaties with the Empire…" He paused to shake his head. "However, I imagine that it would require a war of conquest to fully bring them back to the fold."

Monika sighed. "Yeah well, that wouldn't be good for anyone."

Forester thought the same. "No, I don't suppose that it would be."

Rena didn't have a better idea, but remained disillusioned. "Yeah, I know all that, but doing nothing don't seem much better."

Forester kept his tone even. "The best that we might hope for is to maintain friendly relations with those accessible Khajiiti Kingdoms and keep them between our Empire and the Dominion. I suppose, if it's any consolation, I would doubt that the Aldmeri Dominion would have any better luck at acquiring the lands of Elsweyr, by either force or favour" He paused. "An old axiom comes to mind… something about herding cats."

Alex shook his head. "I thought we talking about the Emperor's Day festival."

Forester nodded. "Yes, quite." His expression shifted as he paused. "I'm rather hopeful that this particular festival passes trouble free. It will be pleasant to just enjoy the festivities and entertainments… in the company of good friends."

Rena nodded. "Yeah, I'd drink to that."

Monika looked to Rena with a questioning glance, wondering if she was actually suggesting something.

Rena recognised what Monika was probably thinking and chuckled. "No, not right now, but I'll certainly drink to it when we have dinner."

"As will I." Forester echoed his wife's sentiment.

Alex had briefly thought of the last time they'd all been to an Emperor's Day festival in the Imperial City on a Sundas. That had been twenty-one years before. It was those things that happened immediately afterward, which briefly crossed his mind. That unpleasant business beneath the city. He quickly cast aside those thoughts. He still sounded slightly maudlin. "Yes… the company of good friends."

Monika wasn't quite sure exactly what Alex was thinking. She placed a hand upon his arm. "Yeah, sounds good. Just us… and the little monsters."

Alex returned another expression of mock disapproval.

Monika grinned. "Yeah alright, not so little any more. And they'll be fine. And Sundas will be a good day. I'm sure of it."

"Here, here." Forester patted his hands upon the tabletop, affecting a smile.

Reflecting Forester's expression, agreeable smiles were exchanged about the table as noises from the front door interrupted the moment.

Just a moment later, a pair of Legion soldiers stepped into the tavern area, evidently stopping by at the Wawnet to take a break from roadside patrol. Since Belwen was already busy with preparing food, Monika got up see to the new arrivals.

Glancing away from his friends at the table, Alex looked on as his wife attended to the Legion soldiers. Some idle thoughts came to mind in the moment. Somewhat unexpectedly, his mind drifted back to thoughts that he'd entertained many years before. It was something he'd considered during his first year in Cyrodiil with the Fighters Guild.

At the culmination of that first time that they'd done work for the Penitus Oculatus, only just barely surviving the task, they'd received handsome payment and bonus. Monika had put her gold toward buying into the Wawnet. Alex had instead accepted the offer of that land at the edge of Weye.

Though at the time, he held no clear expectation of what the future might hold, he did dare to imagine certain possibilities. He had entertained the notion of still being with Monika in years to come. He also considered the possibility of eventually retiring from the Guild to return to farming and that Monika might also give up the Fighters Guild to run the Wawnet.

A broad smile slowly crept across his face as he sat there in silence, in the company of good friends. Not for the first time, Alex decided that he really was quite pleased with the way everything turned out.

~O~

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Afterword: If you made it this far, feel free to pass comment (whether privately or publicly). As always, special thanks to those who provided assistance and advice with these stories, including those other writers providing comment via review or PM. Also, friends who acted as sounding-boards during development and revisions. Special mention for The Imperial Library and UESPWiki websites for providing such a wealth of useful information. And of course, the folks at Bethesda for creating the detailed universe of The Elders Scrolls.

Additionally, I do recommend checking out some other stories by other authors both in my 'Favorites list' and on the following 'community listing' on this site: "The Untold Tales of Tamriel".

... /community/The-Untold-Tales-of-Tamriel/113832/99/0/1/0/0/0/0/

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